ack-to-back clashes, spurred on by misinformation, have paralysed the Kurram valley once again. On Thursday, unidentified assailants opened fire on a group of villagers working in the fields near Parachinar. Two men died in the clash and several others were injured.

Earlier on Saturday, 17 civilians, including women and children, were killed near Kunj Alizai when unidentified gunmen attacked a convoy from Muqbal, a Sunni-majority area in the presence of security personnel. The convoy, consisting of four cars, was returning from a funeral held a day ago in a nearby area.

Reportedly, before this attack took place, a rumour spread on social media about the police receiving information that assailants opened fire on people in the mountains of Kunj Alizai, a Shia-majority area. There has been no confirmation of the report so far.

After the attack, the atmosphere in the valley grew tense. Thal Parachinar Road was closed to traffic and the district administration extended the ban on mobile phone internet services.

On October 14, speaking on the law and order situation in Kurram, in the Provincial Assembly Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said that the Kurram dispute was not sectarian in nature. “It is a land dispute. We are setting up a committee of the house to resolve the dispute,” he said.

In Parachinar, many residents are living in fear and uncertainty. Many have been restricted to their homes and have been avoiding travel altogether.

“Travelling to Peshawar by road has become hazardous. I and my family don’t want to die on the road, so we decided to continue the treatment at a local hospital.”

It is worth mentioning here that, during the previous clashes, the administration had decided that foolproof security arrangements would be made for people who had to travel in the area. Kurram residents frequently travel to Peshawar and other cities of the province for employment, education and medical treatment.

Over the last few months, several attacks on these convoys have been reported. As a result, many citizens from both sects have been postponing their travel plans.

Anwar Ali is a resident of Parachinar. His wife has been sick for several months. To seek treatment for her, they have had to travel to Peshawar several times. But from the past two years, Anwar Ali has been unable to travel.

Ali fears for his and his wife’s safety. “Travelling to Peshawar by road has become hazardous. I and my family don’t want to die on the road. That is why so we have decided to continue the treatment at a local hospital,” he says.

Spread of disinformation and hate speech have become a major challenge in Kurram. Instead of spreading harmony, keyboard worries are using fake accounts to add fuel to the sectarian fire.

For the last two years, the frequency of sectarian and inter-tribal clashes over land and hate speech has been increasing. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the district so far. Many more have been displaced.

Earlier on September 20, a peace agreement was negotiated between the warring sides with the intervention of the provincial government and a local Jirga after clashes that killed and injured many.

The writer is a multimedia producer. He tweets @daudpasaney