- Kurram incident occurs due to old enmity: Administration
PARACHINAR (Nader Khan): At least seven teachers were killed in a firing incident in a school in Parachinar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday.
This was the second incident of firing reported from the Kurram agency in a day, taking the total number of deaths in the district to eight.
The teachers, who were at the school to perform examination duties, were inside the staffroom when unknown assailants opened fire on them. An emergency has been imposed in all hospitals in the area by the authorities.
The attackers are said to be still at large.
The motive behind the killings remained unclear. However, the teachers killed in both incidents belong to the country’s Shia Muslim minority.
The tribal district contains a majority Shia population who are often attacked by militant groups as part of the local Taliban movement.
Board examinations have been deferred for an indefinite period in Parachinar for now, announced the chairperson of Kohat’s education board, Samina Altaf. “The students inside the examination center remained safe,” she said.
The chairperson further informed that board examinations in the rest of Kurram district and areas will be held as per schedule.
Pakistan’s tribal regions have long served as safe havens for terrorists. Proximity with Afghanistan, which has been wracked by a long deadly civil war, has made the tribal regions a potpourri of militants who frequently use the porous border between the two countries to sneak in and out to mount attacks in the two countries.
This tribal belt was the birthplace of the TTP, the umbrella of terrorist groups responsible for most militant violence in the country. Proximity with the tribal regions also rendered KP vulnerable to TTP attacks.
Four days ago, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the ever-deteriorating law and order situation in Lakki Marwat district of KP.
A large number of local residents including political workers of all parties, civil society, lawyers, and students participated in the protest.
The call for protest was given by Olasi Pasawon Lakki Marwat after terrorists attacked a local college where the army was camped.
Meanwhile the spokesman of district administration here Thursday clarified that the tragic incident of Kurram district occurred due to an old enmity, adding the slain teachers were not deployed to conduct examination.
In a statement here, the spokesman said the reason behind the brutal incident was apparently to avenge the killing of a teacher, who was murdered on personal enmity this morning.
He said the victim party has attacked the rival teacher at Govt high school Teri Mangal to avenge the death of their relative. The other six teachers in staff room when came forward for safety of their colleagues were also killed.