Pakistani mediators demand ceasefire as 68 people die in sectarian violence

Government officials met with tribal leaders in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday to try to broker a ceasefire between rival sectarian groups after days of clashes that left at least 68 people dead and dozens injured.

Clashes began on Thursday after gunmen attacked convoys of civilian vehicles, killing at least 40 people, mostly Shiites. This sparked reprisal attacks on Sunni residents, culminating in fierce fighting between armed groups on both sides.

Armed Shiites and Sunnis have been engaged in tribal and sectarian rivalries for decades over a land dispute in the Kurram district near the border with Afghanistan.

A government delegation flew to Parachinar – the capital of Kurram – on Saturday to meet leaders of both sides, said Muhammad Ali Saif, information minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Kurram is located.

The delegation met with Shiite leaders and stayed overnight to meet with Sunni leaders on Sunday to try to negotiate a ceasefire agreement and then move to resolve the issue, he said in a statement.

“There have been positive changes in contacts with interested parties,” he said.