More than 82 killed in Pakistan sectarian violence as authorities struggle to broker peace

At least 82 people have been killed and about 156 wounded in three days of bitter sectarian violence in northwestern Pakistan, officials said on Nov 24.

"Among the deceased, 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community," a local official in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was quoted as saying.

Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country but Kurram district near the border with Afghanistan has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed over land disputes for decades.

The latest bout of violence began on Nov 21 when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed leading to the killing of at least 43 and gun battles between the two groups.

"Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues," provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said on Nov 24.

On Nov 23 provincial officials began talks with both Shia and Sunni community leaders.

A security official in the provincial capital Peshawar said the negotiators' helicopter had come under fire on Nov 23 as it arrived in the region.