Pakistan authority now want to collect weapons but failed to protect Shia Muslims, when large convoy of vehicles transporting Shia Muslims in the Kurram came under attack. 110 people killed, 150 being wounded, over 600 shops and 200 houses destroyed.

The recent conflict in Kurram Agency, a district in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, underscores the fragility of peace in a region plagued by historical tensions and disputes. While pinpointing an exact "one-month war" is difficult due to the sporadic nature of clashes, the events of late 2024 serve as a stark reminder of the area's deep-seated issues.

The route cause of sectarian/religious hate is not confined to a district of KPK, known as Kurram Agency, Pakistan, or any other specific country where the majority of the population is of the Islamic faith but the whole Muslim community plagued with sectarian and religious hate against each other surprising aspect is that all have to and are living and sharing the same soil and social setting for thousands of years.

In my opinion, we Muslims have failed and still failing to update ourselves, to meet the demands of time and our environment, but, instead keep expecting the law of physics would change according to our sect's faith and wishes. The children from the age of 4 or 5 go to madrasas of a specific sect where the children are taught the story set by the particular sect for itself where no information or teaching is given for other sects of Islam as their claims of the faiths and interpretations are, for example, Deobandi Sunni; Barelvi Sunni; Wahabbi Sunni; Salafi Sunni; Ahl-e Hadith Sunni; Sufi Sunni; Bohra; Dawoodi Bohra; Alavi Bohra; Shia Imamiya; Shia Fatimid (Aga Khani); Ahmadiyya or the other religions as their own claims and interpretation are, for example, the Christian; Hindu; Jew: Buddhists; Zakri; Parsi and Sikhs who are living and sharing the same soil and social setting. The children not only provided no information about other sects and religions but instead interpretations of the sect that are based on hate, lies, and distorted versions of others' religions taught to the sect children. These children, in their future lives, cannot avoid others to whom they uphold negative images from childhood, because they all share the same soil and the same social settings, that is the place of residence and the workplace dictated by the law of physics and the law of proximity. 

On the contrary, every sect of Islam, on the one hand, teaches hate against other sects of Islam and other religions and demonizes everyone else who doesn't belong to their sect's thinking. Just to visit any madrasa, you will find that their teaching is nothing but poisoning the minds of the little kids against everyone else who doesn't fall within the frame of mind of their sect. Even education against natural science, women, transgender community, liberals, or those who don't subscribe to any faith is not up-to-date but of a pre-science era. Where children at such a young age would be filled with full of hate and a thought process to hate and kill others in the name of religion if possible - that would lead to nothing good but self-destruction and an image of teenage suicide bombers. 

This is the main reason that Kurram has a long history of sectarian conflict, primarily between Sunni and Shia communities. I am of the view that this is too simplistic or even false to suggest that the tensions are often exacerbated only by disputes over lands, resources, and political influence because no one wants to correct the course that keeps giving birth to such an environment and people of which are prone to avoid the venue of the court of law or culture of the rule of law to settle their disputes but turned to the guns to finish each other. 

The fighting in late 2024 was reportedly triggered by a land dispute, but quickly escalated into broader clashes between armed groups from both sides was only a light to the fuel of hate that was living under the carpet waiting to catch it.

The theologians in Islam used religion to grab political power and resources, but, they are still living with the mindset of the Middle Ages of a slave society and trying to find the solution to today's environment in the text of the Middle Ages. The Taliban has illegally grabbed power with or without the help of Americans across the border. The question is why they will not use their fellow sect in Pakistan to grab power here by using guns and foreign assistance rather than expect the people's vote? This is one of the reasons that fighting going on in Kurram because the Shia community is 25% of the population would resist any illegal grabbing of political power in Pakistan like in Afghanistan where gender apartheid enforced and the Afghan people denied their birthright the right to self-determination. The religious dictatorship of a sect enforced with the help of guns and foreign assistance against the will of the people and turned Afghan society into a collective prison particularly for Afghan women. 

 

The consequences for the civilian population were devastating. Reports emerged of widespread displacement, with families forced to flee their homes to escape the violence. The fighting disrupted essential services, leading to shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. With roads blocked and access restricted, humanitarian aid was slow to reach those in need. The situation was further compounded by the destruction of homes and infrastructure, leaving many without shelter.

Casualty figures varied, but it's clear that hundreds of people were killed or injured in the violence. The fighting was characterized by the use of heavy weaponry, including mortars and rockets, which caused significant damage to civilian areas. The targeting of convoys and attacks on villages further contributed to the rising death toll.

The Pakistani government struggled to contain the situation. Security forces were deployed to the region but faced challenges in navigating the difficult terrain and disarming the warring factions. The efforts to establish a stable and lasting ceasefire were hampered by deep mistrust and a history of broken agreements.

The conflict in Kurram highlights several critical issues:

1. Sectarian Tensions: Education is one not two or three for social harmony. Schools and Madrasas being used as the platform for hate preach must be stopped immediately. Teach all the religions and sects or stop teaching religion at all. This is the only way to handle the deep-rooted sectarian divide that continues to be a major source of instability in the region. Addressing this requires value consensus for social harmony for long-term efforts to promote dialogue, reconciliation, and community mutual understanding. 
2. Weak Governance: The government's inability to effectively enforce the rule of law and resolve disputes peacefully has contributed to the recurring violence that also stems from the longstanding religious education which in my opinion is not education but hate preaching against each other. Strengthening local governance structures and improving access to justice is crucial.
3. The proliferation of Weapons: The widespread availability of weapons has fueled the conflict as well as the culture to promote violence, particularly after the Zia era. People all across Pakistan are seen in videos, firing in the air, and displaying their weapons producing a culture of a lawless society. Efforts to disarm not only militant groups but also the population and control the flow of weapons are essential for restoring peace and a sense of a culture of law-abiding citizenship among the population. 
4. Humanitarian Crisis: In Kurram, the conflict has created a dire humanitarian situation, with thousands in need of food, shelter, and medical care. Ensuring access to humanitarian aid and supporting long-term recovery efforts are vital but this is not one of the situations. We have seen dozens in a short space of time in the last ten or fifteen years

The situation in Kurram remains precarious. While temporary ceasefires have been negotiated, the underlying issues remain unresolved. A lasting solution will require a sustained commitment from the government, local communities, and civil society to address the root causes of the conflict and build a more inclusive and peaceful future for the region.