In a troubling incident, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Saeed Manan was injured after unidentified attackers opened fire on him in the Boshehra area of Upper Kurram on Wednesday. According to police reports, the AC was in the area with a police team when the attack occurred. He was quickly rushed to a hospital for medical treatment.
Following the shooting, a large police contingent launched a search operation to apprehend the attackers. This attack comes just weeks after a similar incident in Lower Kurram, where Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud was also injured in a shooting earlier this month.
The attack on AC Manan has dealt a blow to ongoing peace efforts in the region. Despite these challenges, authorities remain committed to restoring stability. A grand jirga, or tribal assembly, has begun at the Commissioner House in Kohat to discuss and establish lasting peace in Kurram. The jirga includes key figures such as Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, and Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed. Military officials, peace committee members, and tribal elders from both Upper and Lower Kurram are also participating in the discussions.
The region has been plagued by violence for months, disrupting daily life and causing severe shortages of essential goods. Earlier this month, on January 16, a soldier was martyred, and six terrorists were killed during an attack on an aid convoy carrying supplies to Kurram. Despite these setbacks, the KP government has vowed to implement a peace agreement signed between warring tribes on January 1. Chief Secretary Chaudhry emphasized that the agreement would be enforced “at any cost” with the cooperation of all parties involved.
In recent weeks, there have been small signs of progress. The arrival of aid convoys has helped ease the prices of essential food items, providing some relief to local residents who have endured months of hardship due to route closures and supply shortages. The recent arrival of a large vehicle carrying vegetables further contributed to lowering prices in local markets, offering a glimmer of hope for normalcy.
However, the attack on AC Manan serves as a stark reminder of the challenges that remain. As authorities continue their efforts to restore peace, the safety of officials and civilians alike remains a pressing concern. The success of the ongoing jirga and the implementation of the peace agreement will be critical in determining whether Kurram can finally move toward stability and recovery.
