Not mincing words: Commissioner blames sectarian rifts for unrest

Syed Jamaluddin says both sects responsible for restoration of peace in Hangu.


Our Correspondent October 01, 2014

HANGU:


A grand jirga of Sunni and Shia elders as well as government officials was convened after a gap of some months on Wednesday during which the Kohat Division commissioner blamed both sects for the ongoing unrest in Hangu district.


The jirga was convened at the deputy commissioner’s office after the recent surge of attacks on both sects in the district. Apart from the elders, Kohat Division Commissioner Syed Jamaluddin, Kohat Division IG Dr Ishtiaq and Hangu DPO Anwar Saeed Kundi were also present.

Jamaluddin, while speaking to the elders, blamed both sects for the violence, saying if Sunnis and Shias had been living in peace there would not have been a single attack in the area. “It is your lack of unity that is allowing militants to attack and now they strike indiscriminately,” he said.

Jamaluddin urged the elders not to let militants who spread violence settle in the area. He warned that the houses of those sheltering such elements would
be torched.

Hangu Deputy Commissioner (DC), Naeem Anwar echoed his senior officer’s point of view and said both Shias and Sunnis should work together for the restoration of law and order in the district. He reiterated that strict action would
be taken against those sabotaging peace.

A series of jirgas among the elders and the district government started in April after Chief Minister Pervez Khattak directed officials to restore peace. The first meeting was held on April 2 and the participants agreed to resolve matters.

However, the elders failed to agree on certain points in a subsequent jirga on April 19 and there were no conclusive results. On May 16, a third jirga was convened, but negotiations also broke down on that occasion. That was the last time the jirga was convened before the meeting on Wednesday.

Hangu district lies on the border with Kurram and Orakzai agencies and is one of the most sensitive districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. It has seen several incidents of sectarian violence and terrorism over the past few years.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2014.

COMMENTS (1)

vaqas | 9 years ago | Reply

I would say a very small step in the right direction. But harmony can only be achieved once all religions and sects are considered equal. And for that separation of religion from state is paramount. Next step should be forceful removal of all hate and war mongering literature and clerics from the populace. This is a long and arduous road, but the only road necessary for the survival of this nation.

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