10 killed, 21 injured as sectarian violence in Pak’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues despite cease-fire
Peshawar (PTI): At least 10 more people have been killed and 21 others injured as sporadic clashes continued between Sunni and Shia tribes despite a cease-fire brokered between the two warring communities in Pakistan's restive northwest, police said on Wednesday.
The latest violence took place on Tuesday in Kurram district, bordering Afghanistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
At least 10 people died and 21 others injured in the sporadic tribal sectarian violence, police said.
"An agreement has been reached for an extension of the cease-fire for another 10 days," Deputy Commissioner of Kurram Javedullah Mehsud said.
The deputy commissioner stated that during the past week, 100 people have lost their lives, and 180 others have been injured in the clashes.
He further mentioned that all parties will vacate their positions starting tomorrow, adding that both police and army personnel will remain deployed in Kurram.
The clashes between Alizai and Bagan tribes in Kurram district started on Friday last week following Thursday's attack on a convoy of passenger vans near Parachinar in which 47 people were killed.
At least 37 people were killed and several others injured in the tribal sectarian violence over Friday and Saturday, police said. Nobody has claimed responsibility for Thursday's convoy attack.
A seven-day cease-fire was brokered between the Shia and Sunni communities on Sunday following meetings between a provincial government delegation and elders from both sects.
However, despite the cease-fire, sporadic clashes are continuing, police said.
There was sporadic fighting on Tuesday in Ghozaghari, Matasanagar and Kunj Alizai areas.
Kurram Deputy Commissioner Mehsud said that a grand jirga (tribal council) comprising elders from Hangu, Orakzai and Kohat districts will visit Kurram for fresh mediation to end hostilities.
Kohat division Commissioner will lead the peace delegation, he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Mir Hassan Khan, Superintendent of the Kurram district headquarters hospital, said the closure of roads leading to Parachinar following Thursday's attack has resulted in a shortage of medicines.
It is becoming difficult for doctors to treat people due to a shortage of medicines and “people are losing their lives”, he said.
Shiite Muslims make up about 15 per cent of the 240 million people in Sunni-majority Pakistan. Although the two groups generally live together peacefully, tensions remain, especially in Kurram.
Although the area has a history of sectarian conflict, with militant groups previously targeting the Shiite minority, the current violence is connected to a land dispute.
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1,850 missing mobile phones recovered as Delhi Police focusses on victim-centric policing
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police has recovered 1,850 stolen and lost mobile phones worth around Rs 4 crore in past 40 days under "Mission Reconnect", an initiative aimed at returning phones to their rightful owners in outernorth Delhi, an official said on Saturday.
The recovered phones were traced from different parts of the country, including remote areas, through technical surveillance and sustained field operations, police said, adding that the devices were handed over to their owners during a programme at the Sports Ground, New Police Lines, Kingsway Camp.
The initiative focused on a victim-centric approach and aimed at strengthening public trust through proactive policing and coordinated efforts across states, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said.
As part of the programme, teams performed 'nukkad nataks' and screened awareness videos on cybercrime, drug abuse prevention, and senior citizen safety, sensitising the public about digital frauds and safety measures, officials said.
The initiative combines technology, investigation and community participation to ensure recovery of lost property and reconnect citizens with their valuables, they added.
