Bara sub region in Khyber Agency has been in news due to continuing violence between two rival religious groups. Since December 2005, both groups led by Mufti Munir Shakir and Pir Saifur Rehman, have been fighting a bloody battle. More than 40 lives have been lost in the last six months; in one major clash alone in March 2006 twenty five persons were killed. In the second week of June 2005, Lashkar-e-Islami, an organization led by Mangal Bagh Afridi, part of Mufti Munir's group, forced markets to close down, announced formation of an Islamic government, banned interest banking and warned of strict punishment for infractions. According to a news report, Lashkar-e-Islami announced that a murderer would pay a fine of Rs, 500,000; Rs 50,000 for having a dish antennae; and Rs 500 for not offering prayers five times a day. No woman would be allowed in market areas without one of her blood relatives. In consequence, the administration sent in para military forces, enforced a curfew (later denied) and demolished the multi storey plaza belonging to Mangal Bagh.

Khyber is one of the seven tribal agencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA); perhaps the most important one for Pakistan and Afghanistan. The main artery connecting Peshawar to Kabul goes via the Khyber Pass. Bara and Landikotal are two sub divisions within the Agency; the former is closer to Peshawar and hosts the famous market for foreign and smuggled goods. (Even those markets elsewhere in Pakistan that sell goods from here are known as 'Bara' markets). Historically, several armies have traversed the Khyber Pass, fighting, recruiting and bribing the Afridi tribes in the region. In recent decades this Agency has seen large movements of refugees, militants and goods- legal and smuggled.

The growth of radical Islam in Khyber Agency is a recent phenomenon. Earlier Haji Namdar, a religious leader had established Amr bil Maroof wa Nehi Anil Munkir in 2003-04, which ran its own prisons; two of them named after the infamous Abu Gharib and Guantanamo! Haji Namdar's words are final, like that of Omar Mullah, the leader of the Taliban. Mufti Munir worked for Haji Namdar earlier, but they have fallen out in recent years.

The current crisis is due to differences between Mufti Munir and Pir Saifur. Ironically, these religious leaders do not belong to the Khyber Agency; the former is from Khurram Agency, which he was forced to leave for his sectarian views, whereas the latter is an Afghan. Both groups operate FM radio stations, through which they preach their own versions of Islam and abuse each other.

Since the end of 2005, there have been attempts by the tribal civil society to find an understanding between the two warring groups. A series of jirgas were organized by the Afridi tribes, which forced Mufti Munir and Pir Saifur to leave Bara in February 2006. While the leaders have left, their supporters have been engaged in kidnapping and killing rival groups. The Mufti group went a step further and formed Lashkar-i-Islami led by Haji Mangal Bagh.

What is missing in this entire drama is any semblance of government. The administration has lost the support of the local tribesmen. Worse, it is seen as corrupt, and part of the smuggling net work. Tashfeen Khan the newly appointed Political Administrator agreed that the administration had lost the support of tribal leaders. The nexus between the smuggler mafia and the administration need to be checked, but ironically, is ignored under the excuse of respecting local tribal customs and sentiments.

In the last few years, irrespective of claims made by the local community, the administration has refused to counter the increasing influence of local Taliban elements led by Haji Namdar. It also kept neutral on the growing violence between the groups led by Mufti Munir and Pir Saifur. Repeated calls by the tribal leaders to take action against the FM stations have gone unheeded. When the local administration finally took action in March-April 2006, the ban worked for a few weeks; but the stations are back in action. The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority's (PEMRA) writ does not extend into the tribal areas, which has become an excuse rather than the reason to clamp down on these radio stations.

The presence of small arms, including Kalshnikovs and rocket launchers, is an issue that needs tackling all over the FATA and not only in the Khyber Agency. Groups like Lashkar-e-Islam have control over the others due to their possession of heavy weapons, which leads the rest to acquire arms for their own security.

Finally, most of the positive decisions taken in the Khyber Agency in the last seven months have been initiated by the tribal elders. They forced the administration to act and the rival factions to reach an understanding. The least that the administration can do is to use the tribal elders and the tribal jirga to reach a long term understanding in Khyber Agency.