Feeling regret in the markets of Parachinar
I cautiously embarked upon my journey through the tribal area in FATA, this was my first visit to the Kurram Agency. I stayed in Parachinar for six days, an area that had succumbed to sectarian violence, and was now trying to recuperate. Although the community has inflicted much of this violence upon itself, I was impressed by what they had learnt from their trials and how they were shaping their lives now. Having heard so much about the violence that prevailed in Parachinar, I assumed a guarded pose upon reaching the disputed area. To my surprise, the Kohat-Parachinar road, once ...
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Parachinar: Heaven turned to hell
On a beautiful overcast evening, while I was travelling from Islamabad to the historic city of Taxila I began to reminisce about my childhood in Parachinar in the 1990s – a place where fairies came down from heaven , a valley of tall, lush trees filled with sweet smelling flowers and delicious fruit. Children sang songs of liberty without knowing that this vale of roses would be stained with the blood of their neighbours and we would be receiving mutilated bodies of our beloveds. Who knew that the ferocious Taliban would attack us from all sides just because we wouldn’t agree with ...
Read Full PostUnite from Parachinar to Karachi
Years ago, when in my hometown Parachinar and in other tribal areas, malicious actions were initiated by inhuman terrorists against innocent and peace-loving people, I had written an article titled “Let think for Pakistan”. At the time, I hadn’t imagined that this article would be momentous and significant even years later. But unfortunately, today Pakistan is confronted with more miserable conditions than before. We are in a quagmire of socio-economic and security problems set against a backdrop of ethnic and religious intolerance. From Parachinar to Karachi, the lives of human beings are at great risk. The terrorists have pushed Pakistan into a ...
Read Full PostParachinar: the valley of massacre
Parachinar was once paradise on earth but it has been burning in the fires of terrorism for years. The prices of commodities have sky-rocketed, poverty has made life hellish, and hospitals lack medicines and facilities. All roads leading out of the area are blocked and there is little communication with the outside world. Life has been paralyzed. The entire area is rife with aggressive sentiments in response to extremism – revenge, rebellion and sectarianism. Situations like this can cause revolutions that have the potential to shake even stable countries. Nine years in to the war on terror and tensions in Fata ...
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