Noreen Naseer, Iftikhar Firdous, and Abdul Rehman
Dr Noreen Naseer is serving as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Dr Iftikhar Firdous is the Founder and Editor of The Khorasan Diary. He has a PhD in Psycholinguistics from UC, USA.
Mr Abdul Rehman is an undergraduate student at Islamia College, Peshawar.
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: proxy wars, borderland, sectarian conflict, Kurram
Abstract
To understand the sectarian problem in the merged district of Kurram, both primary and secondary sources are employed to assess and analyse Kurram’s strategic position, essentially, its security mosaic. The traditional understanding of its causes and effects (retaliatory attacks between rival Sunni and Shia sects) does not offer a solution-based analysis. An effort is made to collect information that can be useful for academics and policymakers. While compiling archival data, it is observed that histories are important markers for the genesis of the conflict; however, they are also no longer the sole factor for understanding the situation in the Kurram district. The last two decades have metastasised this bloody sectarian conflict from a local to an international conflict. Thus, any effort to pave the way for peaceful coexistence in the district has resulted in the repetition of similar events, with internal and external catalysts further exacerbating an already volatile peace. Therefore, characterising the conflict in Kurram as merely a sectarian clash or a land dispute is not only reductionist but also obscures the deeper structural drivers of violence, including persistent governance failures and the entrenched presence of militant organisations, compounded by the proxy dynamics resulting from years of involvement by neighbouring countries. Hence, it is observed from the data assessed that the area is situatedon a sectarian fault line, and thelayers of issues that have been unresolved for decades created a situation that is difficult to resolve.
First Published
December 25, 2025
How to Cite
Noreen Naseer, Iftikhar Firdous, and Abdul Rehman, “Proxy Wars in The Pak-Afghan Borderland: Understanding The Sectarian Problem in The Merged District of Kurram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Regional Studies 43, no.2 (Winter 2025): 40-58, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/proxy-wars-in-the-pak-afghan-borderland-understanding-the-sectarian-problem-in-the-merged-district-of-kurram-khyber-pakhtunkhwa/
Issue
Volume 43, Issue 2