The Islamic Republic of Pakistan witnessed another devastating blow to peace as armed Shias torched a market in Bagan, Kurram District, in retaliation for the massacre of 110 Shia civilians by Sunnis. On the surface, the unrest appears to be fueled by Sunni-Shia sectarian divides or local land disputes, but the deeper and more sinister motives of the Punjabi Pak Army are becoming glaringly evident.
For centuries, Sunni and Shia Pashtuns have coexisted peacefully in Kurram, relying on their traditional jirga system to mediate disputes. However, in recent years, the region has been engulfed in cycles of orchestrated violence. The Pakistan Army, notorious for its colonial tactics, has deliberately stoked unrest to further its geopolitical and financial agenda. Kurram’s strategic location on the Afghanistan border makes it a prime target for military exploitation, and the Army’s endgame is to displace local Pashtuns through bloodshed and chaos to pave the way for its so-called “New Dollar War.”
Despite the Army’s machinations, the resilient Pashtun communities of Kurram have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to peace. In October, Sunni and Shia youth gathered in a historic Pashtun National Court Jirga, rejecting sectarian hatred and reaffirming their centuries-old solidarity. They boldly called for the withdrawal of the Punjabi- Pakistan Army, demanding that lingering issues be resolved through their indigenous jirga system. The unity displayed by the Pashtun youth was a direct threat to the Army’s divide-and-conquer strategy.
Predictably, the Army responded in its typical fashion: by fueling fresh violence to derail these peace efforts. As plans for a Kurram Jirga gained momentum, violence erupted again, with armed groups unleashing terror at the Army’s behest. The timing and precision of these attacks leave little doubt about the Army’s role in perpetuating the bloodshed.
The tragedy in Kurram is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of Paki establishment-sponsored oppression against the Pashtuns. From the massacres at Babara, Takkar, and Qissa Khwani to the Kharqamar killings and the Army Public School tragedy, the Pashtuns have long been the victims of Pakistan’s military aggression. The bloodshed in Kurram adds yet another chapter to this grim history of systemic oppression.