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ISLAMABAD: A senior administration official was injured in a crossfire between warring tribes in the northwestern Pakistani district of Kurram that has been hit by clashes for more than two months, officials said on Friday.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has frequently witnessed violence between its Sunni and Shiite communities over land and power. Travelers to and from the area often ride in convoys escorted by security officials.
Fresh feuding began on Nov. 21 when gunmen ambushed a convoy and killed 52 people, mostly Shiites. The assault triggered road closures and other measures that have disrupted people’s access to medicine, food, fuel, education and work and created a humanitarian crisis in the area, where authorities say at least 150 people have been killed in the two months of feuding.
The latest incident occurred when Additional Assistant Commissioner Sayed Manan was in the field to ensure ceasefire between warring tribes in Bushara area, according to Kurram police spokesman Riaz Khan. Manan was flown to the provincial capital of Peshawar in a helicopter in critical condition after being initially treated at a hospital in Kurram’s Parachinar.
“The additional assistant commissioner underwent surgery at District Headquarter Hospital Parachinar,” Dr. Mir Hassan Jan, the medical superintendent of the hospital, told Arab News. “He was shot in the stomach.”
The additional assistant commissioner was injured in crossfire between the two villages in Bushara area, according to police spokesman Khan. While the gunfire has stopped, authorities are on high alert.
“The situation is completely tense in the area,” he added.
Feuding tribes have been engaged in battles with machine guns and heavy weapons, isolating the remote, mountainous region. The main road connecting Parachinar, the main town in Kurram, to the provincial capital of Peshawar has been blocked since sectarian fighting began in November.
The violence has continued despite a peace agreement signed between the warring tribes on Jan. 1. Under the peace agreement, both sides had agreed on the demolition of bunkers and the handover of heavy weapons to authorities within two weeks, but there has been little to no progress on the terms.
Shiite Muslims dominate parts of Kurram, although they are a minority in the rest of Pakistan, which is majority Sunni. Provincial and federal authorities have been supplying relief goods and evacuating the injured and ailing from Kurram to Peshawar via helicopters since last month.
Muhammad Ali Saif, a KP government spokesman, said on Friday hatred was the root cause of the Kurram issue and lasting peace in the region was not possible without eliminating it.
“All elements challenging the government’s writ will be punished according to the law,” he said, while speaking to a council of tribal and political elders in Kohat that was formed to resolve the Kurram issue.
“The Kohat [peace] agreement will be equally applicable to both parties.”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will inaugurate Gaddafi Stadium in the eastern city of Lahore on Feb. 7, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday, as the South Asian country gears up for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
The PCB has been renovating stadiums in Lahore and Karachi for the 2025 Champions Trophy scheduled to take place in Feb. across three venues: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. This will be the first ICC tournament held in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup.
Gaddafi Stadium is set to transform into a world-class facility, featuring over 34,000 seats, brand-new scoreboards on both sides and state-of-the-art floodlights, ensuring exceptional visibility for both players and spectators after sunset, according to the PCB.
On Friday, Naqvi visited the stadium and inspected the final renovation work on the ground.
“We are going to inaugurate the stadium in Lahore on Feb. 7, the prime minister will come here and inaugurate the stadium,” he told reporters at the venue.
Pakistani fans have long expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s stadiums, particularly the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, citing a lack of basic facilities and a subpar viewing experience for spectators.
The PCB has also been renovating the Karachi stadium.
“The president of Pakistan will inaugurate the stadium in Karachi on the 11th [of Feb.],” Naqvi said.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will take place from February 19 till March 9, with matches hosted across Pakistan and Dubai in a hybrid model.
The tournament’s structure follows a compromised decision after India refused to play in Pakistan, citing “security concerns.” Exercising its rights as the host nation, Pakistan designated Dubai as the neutral venue for India’s matches, ensuring all teams’ participation.
The PCB has scheduled the Champions Trophy opening ceremony in Lahore on Feb. 16, according to Naqvi.
“We are fully prepared, we will welcome all the teams that are coming,” he told reporters in Lahore. “The entire PCB and the rest of the team are working day and night on their security and other arrangements.”
In Pakistan, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi will host three group-stage games each. Lahore is also set to host the second semifinal. Dubai will host all three of India’s group matches and the first semifinal, should India qualify.
The tournament opener on Feb. 19 will feature Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Karachi, while India will face Bangladesh in Dubai on Feb. 20.
This will be the ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, after an eight-year hiatus. The last tournament took place in England in 2017. The event will feature top eight teams in world cricket competing for one of the sport’s most prestigious titles.