Parachinar, situated at the northern tip of Kurram Agency,is the only area in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) where no single tribe dominates. Turis, most of them Shias, are in majority in Parachinar. Bangash come next, most of them Sunni but some Shias as well. Aurakzais are mostly Sunni. There are five other tribes smaller in numbers.
Parachinar is the capital of Kurram Agency. It is the largest city in Tribal Areas as well as a beautiful and a scenic place in close proximity of Peiwar Kotal, a pass separating the troubled Afghan Province of Paktia from Kurram. The infamous caves of Tora Bora in Afghanistan are about a 100 miles away from Parachinar.
Sectarian strife has been an annual affair in the region and has not necessarily confined to the period of Muharram. However, in 2007, when Taliban had flexed their muscle in the region to the extent that they held sway over lower Kurram including Tall, where the military garrison is housed, it was the residents of Northern Kurram, essentially of Parachinar and Sadda, who fought them off.
On June 21 this year, a double bomb blast killed almost 90 in Parachinar. Using the mildest of mild words, one can only feel ashamed that not a single one of our elected representatives in the central government has yet visited the area to condole with bereaved families.
Counter insurgency or COIN is not really a military function. An insurgency exists only due to socio-economic and political reasons. Nonetheless, the use of force is often an essential component of COIN. But, the use of force can only win battles and create conditions for negotiations to succeed. It cannot win wars.
To add insult to injury, the compensation offered to the victims of this tragedy came six days after the incident, and was just half the amount offered to victims of the oil tanker fire that took place close to Bahawalpur.
If the Prime Minister and his cabinet wished to spread further discord between the Pashtuns and Punjabis of Pakistan, they could not have found a better way.
The Army chief must have faced compounded resentment during his visit to Parachinar. He obviously handled the situation well and has successfully assuaged the people’s wrath. However, it’s a shame that, once again, the Army has repaired a potential breach before it would have flooded – a breach that got enlarged owing to political small-mindedness.
