2017 has been a bloody year for the people of Parachinar, a town in the tribal area of Kurram Agency. There have been four incidents of suicide bombings this year which claimed the lives of a large number of people but mainly those belonging to the Shia sect. The latest incident, a twin bombing, took place on June 23 in Turi Bazaar, killing more than 70 people.
This begs the question: why is Parachinar routinely targeted by terrorists?
There are two main reasons that explain why Parachinar comes in the line of fire. First, it is a Shia-dominated town and terrorists are aware that any activity carried out by them will target the maximum number of Shias. This is likely to lead to Shia-Sunni conflict and destabilisation of the wider region.
Second, Kurram is bordered by four provinces of Afghanistan: Khost, Paktia, Ningrehar and Logar (which is close to the border but does not touch the boundary).The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other Pakistani militant organisations continue to maintain presence in these provinces. Parachinar is the closest Shia town for these organisations to strike and unleash terror.
The reality of conflict is layered and complex
But before we get into the politics surrounding Parachinar, let me first explain its geography and demography. Parachinar is part of the Kurram Agency but the Kurram Agency itself has three divisions: upper, central, and lower. Parachinar lies in the upper belt and is a Shia-majority town, with the Turi and Bangash tribes comprising most of the population. On the hilltops surrounding the valley are the Sunni tribes — Mangal and Muqbal.
In order to make some sense of the situation in Parachinar, its history has to be understood.
Muharram in Parachinar has not been a peaceful event since decades. When sectarian conflict was unheard of in other parts of Pakistan, it was rampant in Kurram Agency. This is of course before the advent of the Sipah-i-Sahaba, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Muhammad. Crucially, tribes are divided along sectarian lines. A dispute between two tribes can often swell into something bigger. So, for example, petty inter-tribal issues not religious in nature — such as the grazing of cattle, control over water sources, cutting of forest trees — often morph into sectarian conflict.
But while minor sectarian conflict has been a routine in each Muharram, Parachinar has seen various changes to its society over the years. The Iranian revolution, the entry of Sunni Afghan refugees, and the influx of lethal weapons during the Afghan jihad are some factors that have contributed to the intensity and frequency of sectarian violence. In 1982, 1996 and 2007, major sectarian clashes erupted in Kurram Agency, with Parachinar emerging as the epicentre of violence.
In fact, the year 2007 is a significant one in Parachinar’s history. It is the same year when the TTP was formed. But even before, by 2006, the Taliban had penetrated the Sunni areas of central and lower Kurram. Local Taliban, controlled by the Taliban of South Waziristan, emerged in these areas.
Muharram in Parachinar has not been a peaceful event since decades. When sectarian conflict was unheard of in other parts of Pakistan, it was rampant in Kurram Agency. This is of course before the advent of the Sipah-i-Sahaba, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Muhammad. Crucially, tribes are divided along sectarian lines. A dispute between two tribes can often swell into something bigger.
In April 2007, participants of a Sunni procession in upper Kurram, raised objectionable slogans against the Shia. The Shia reacted and staged a protest procession in Parachinar. Some people fired at this procession and this led to sectarian clashes, which subsequently spread to other parts of the Agency.