PARACHINAR (WS News) – A firing incident occurred near the helicopter carrying members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government delegation in Parachinar on Saturday.
No damage or injuries were reported in the incident which the Kohat deputy commissioner described as a “routine”.
According to sources, the delegation, led by Provincial Law Minister Advocate Aftab Alam, was in Parachinar to attend a jirga held to address local issues. The chief secretary and other senior officials attended the jirga.
The deputy commissioner explained that the firing was not directed at the helicopter and was a routine happening in the area. “There is no indication that the helicopter was a target,” he said.
The delegation’s visit to Kurram was part of efforts to improve district’s law and order situation.
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On the instructions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the delegation travelled from Peshawar to engage with local stakeholders.
More than 50 people were killed and several others injured when gunmen on Thursday opened fire on a number of passenger vehicles in Lower Kurram.
According to the Kurram DPO, a convoy of vehicles coming from Peshawar to Parachinar came under fire in the Ucheat area. Automatic weapons were used by the gunmen, he added.
According to foreign media, over 50 people, including three women, died on the spot. Several injured were taken to nearby hospitals where the condition of many had been described as serious.
A vociferous protest ensued in the area which led to further clash. Many casualties took place in the clash.
Police and rescue teams reached the spot, sealed the area and launched a search for the attackers.
UN SECRETARY GENERAL CONDEMNS ATTACK
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Thursday’s attack in Kurram district and called for bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“The Secretary-General stresses that attacks against civilians are unacceptable,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement he read out at the regular noon briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday.
“He (the UN chief) extends his deepest condolences to the families and calls on the Government of Pakistan to conduct an investigation and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” the statement added.
