Wednesday, December 18

HRCP calls for urgent action on Kurram crisis

*HRCP publication* Northern Pakistan’s rich indigenous cultures and ethnologies have been sorely neglected, both in terms of state narratives and local scholarship. The region is still treated as a political periphery, subject to the whims of a majoritarian Pakistan. Given this, how have local cultures and languages fared over the years? Produced as part of the prestigious I. A. Rehman Research Grant Series, _Internal Colonization in Northern Pakistan_ traces the rise of linguicism in the region, linking it to the unequal distribution of political power. Author Zubair Torwali argues that indigenous languages and social structures among many communities—such as the Gawri, Gujar and Kohistani communities—have been diluted by the dominant Pashtun culture. In Gilgit-Baltistan, the region’s lack of a constitutional status has meant that the state has been able to impose homogeneity through a standardized curriculum and education system, undermining the region’s local wisdom, indigenous knowledge, and linguistic and cultural diversity. HRCP believes that the right to a distinct cultural identity is closely linked to the notion of human dignity. As such, collective cultural rights are protected by Article 28 of the Constitution as a fundamental right. Forced or involuntary assimilation is therefore cause for concern from a human rights perspective, as this essay shows, including if this is promoted on the grounds of a perceived ‘desirable’ cultural uniformity. Read the report here: https://tinyurl.com/rm9wtpsc The Pakistan Times Pakistan Times Islamabad, 7 November 2024. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) calls urgent attention to the situation in Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where prolonged tribal and sectarian conflict have led to scores of casualties and left hundreds injured.

The alarming frequency of clashes between rival tribes and sects has effectively isolated the district from the rest of the province as a result of road blockades put in place to contain the situation, compounded by suspension of cellular services. Regrettably, such measures have failed consistently to bring any relief and have instead periodically cut off residents’ access to food, fuel and medical supplies. Schools have also had to close intermittently, while in several cases, the blockades have led to the deaths of sick children and elderly persons who did not receive medical attention in time.

Despite a ceasefire agreed to between rival groups in June 2023 and again in October and several jirgas involving tribal elders and the authorities, Kurram remains wracked by violence. An estimated 49 people were killed and at least 190 injured during the conflict in July this year. In September, another 21 people were killed, according to press reports. At least 11 people were killed in October, reportedly including women and children.

HRCP is also greatly concerned by reports that armed, trained fighters may have been involved in the violence this allegation must be taken seriously and investigated. The fact that local rival groups clearly have access to heavy weaponry indicates that the state has been unable to control the flow of arms into this region.

The protracted trauma and violence to which Kurram’s residents have been subjected for over a year must not become the new normal—it has already reached the proportions of a humanitarian crisis. The state would do well to heed the call of local ‘peace marches’ held by weary residents desperate for an end to the conflict.

The state has a duty to protect their right to life and security, to ensure that the perpetrators of violence are traced and held to account, and to involve all stakeholders in serious negotiations to bring an end to the conflict.

Sub Editor: Ghufran