KOHAT: Two warring tribes in Kurram have finally reached a peace deal that would lead to the reopening of roads in the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa territory, jirga member Malik Sawab Khan confirmed on Wednesday.
In an interview with a private TV channel, Sawab Khan – who is part of the grand jirga – said 45 people from each warring party had signed the 14-point peace agreement.
“Both sides have agreed to hand over their weapons to the government,” he said, warning of government action if either side failed to do so. He further said that in the agreement it was decided that all the bunkers would be dismantled.
The jirga member added that a committee would be formed within 15 days to start implementing the agreement, hoping that the situation in restive Kurram would return to normal within a month.
Khan replied to the question that the government will decide on the opening of the roads. “Members of Anjuman-e-Hussainia Association and members belonging to Anjuman-e-Farooqia have given their consent to the agreement.”
A large peace jirga was convened at Kohat Fort to broker talks between the warring tribes of the violence-stricken area. The peace talks, which were overseen by GOC 9th Division Major General Zulfiqar Bhatti, were aimed at bringing lasting peace between the warring tribes, whose clashes have claimed over 130 lives since November.
Despite several ceasefires announced in the past year, the issue has remained unresolved and tribal elders have continued to try to negotiate a permanent peace deal.
Adviser to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, announced last week that a general consensus had been reached between the warring tribes during a peace jirga in Kurram.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Kohat Syed Motasim Billah Shah also confirmed today’s development, saying that all the representatives have signed the agreement and three remaining.
On the other hand, Advocate Saif echoed Sawab Khan’s statements and said that both sides agreed to surrender their weapons and demolish their bunkers. “The peace agreement will usher in an era of peace and prosperity in Kurram,” he added.
Another member of the jirga, Raza Hussain, said plans were afoot to open roads and restore peace. “We will work in cooperation with the law enforcement agencies (LEA) to ensure peace and order,” he said, adding that the ceasefire would be implemented immediately under the agreement.
Humanitarian crisis
Kurram, a district of more than 600,000 people near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, has long been a hotbed of sectarian violence. However, tensions have escalated in recent months and clashes have left over 200 people dead since July.
The recent clashes have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the area, where supplies of medicine and oxygen are running critically low due to the prolonged closure of the main road linking Parachinar to Peshawar.
Reports suggest that more than 100 children may have died due to a severe shortage of medicine, although Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesman Barrister Saif denied the claims.
Apart from the ongoing meeting at the Parachinar Press Club, the road closures have sparked protests in Karachi that are now in their ninth day. A separate protest was held in Bagan in lower Kurram on Monday against the vandalism of shops and houses in the area.
Demonstrators demanded the reopening of roads and assistance to affected individuals. However, district administration officials cited security concerns, including recent shootings at private vehicles and tribal clashes, as the reason for the closure.
The area was declared a “hit disaster” by the provincial government, with authorities airlifting medical supplies into the area and evacuating people in critical need.
Emphasizing that consensus was reached on all major points, Barrister Saif said that the bunkers would be abolished and the area would be de-armed as per the decision of the Apex Committee.
He reaffirmed the government’s determination to achieve a lasting and sustainable solution to the conflict, which dates back more than a century.
