Pakistan: Religious clashes claim 23 lives

At least 23 people were killed and several injured in gun battle between supporters of two religious leaders in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan, an official said on Tuesday.

Clashes between followers of Mufti Munir Shakir and Pir Saifur Rehman started on Monday and continued until early Tuesday morning in Khyber Agency, some 12 km from Peshawar, said Shah Zaman, media advisor for the tribal region.

The gunfight erupted when Shakir's supporters attacked the house of a follower of Rehman, Zaman told local Geo TV. Rehman's supporters retaliated and killed five of the attackers, leading to more clashes between the two groups. The clashes left at least 23 people dead.

Zaman said Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary force, had been deployed there to maintain law and order. But reports reaching Islamabad suggested that the situation was still very tense and the authorities had blocked all roads to the area.

Rehman is said to be an Afghan refugee and Geo TV reported that 13 out of those dead were Afghan nationals. Thousands of Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan's tribal region, bordering Afghanistan.

Zaman said the two religious groups had established radio stations, which were engaged in propaganda against each other. Rehman agreed to quit the area and close down his radio station after the government asked him to do so, he said, adding that however, Shakir's group continued to spread propaganda against the rival faction.

The government was trying to resolve the conflict through the traditional tribal Jirga or Council of Elders, Zaman said.

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