Death toll jumps to 85 in northwestern Pakistan, roiled by sectarian violence

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - The four-day death toll from ongoing sectarian clashes in northwestern Pakistan rose to 85 on Sunday, as six more people were killed in fresh incidents of gunfire, while the same number of people succumbed to their injuries in the hospital, officials said.

The restive Kurram district, which borders neighboring Afghanistan, has been in the grip of one of the worst sectarian clashes in recent years, as authorities seek to calm simmering tensions by engaging with Sunni and Shia Muslim elders.

Mohammad Ali Saif, government spokesman in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which includes tribal Kurram, told reporters that efforts were underway to bring the clashes under control with the help of elders from both sides.

Critics, however, accuse the provincial government, including Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of "criminally" neglecting the escalating situation.

Gandapur is currently leading a march toward the capital Islamabad to seek the release of his party's leader, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The latest violence broke out when a convoy of Shia passengers was ambushed by militants earlier this week, leaving around 50 people dead and dozens injured.

In retaliation, Shia groups allegedly attacked the Sunni-dominated town of Baghan in Kurram on Friday, killing dozens.

The district has long been a hotbed for sectarian violence rooted in a land dispute between the two Shia and Sunni families.

Kurram's town of Parachinar is one of the few Shia-majority towns in mostly Sunni Pakistan.