KOHAT: After days-long negotiations, the two warring tribes in Kurram have signed a peace agreement containing 14 points aimed at establishing peace in the area as violence plagued the restive territory for several weeks now, Jirga member Malik Sawab Khan said on Wednesday.
Speaking to Geo News, Sawab Khan — who is part of the grand jirga — said that 45 people from each warring side have signed the 14-point peace agreement.
“Both sides have agreed to hand over their weapons to the government,” he said, warning of the government’s action if either side fails to do so. Furthermore, he said, it was decided in the agreement that all bunkers will be dismantled.
Meanwhile, the jirga member said that a committee will be constituted within 15 days to start implementing the agreement, hoping that the situation in restive Kurram would return to normal within a month.
Kohat Commissioner Syed Motasim Billah Shah has also confirmed the development, saying that all of the representatives have signed the agreement, with three remaining.
A grand peace jirga was convened at Kohat Fort to mediate talks between the warring tribes of the violence-hit district. The peace talks, held under the supervision of GOC 9 Division Major General Zulfiqar Bhatti, aimed at establish lasting peace between the warring tribes whose clashes have claimed over 130 lives since November.
Despite multiple truces announced over the past year, the issue remained unresolved, with tribal elders continuing efforts to negotiate a permanent peace agreement.
Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, announced last week that a general consensus had been reached between the rival tribes during the Kurram peace jirga. He further disclosed that the forum, through mutual consultation, had granted two additional days to one party for further discussions with its leadership on unresolved points.
The recent clashes exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in Kurram, with medicine and oxygen supplies running critically low due to the prolonged closure of the main highway linking Parachinar to Peshawar. Reports suggest that over 100 children may have died from a severe shortage of medicine, though Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Saif has denied these claims.
In addition to the ongoing sit-in at the Parachinar Press Club, the road closures have sparked protests in Karachi, now in their ninth day. On Monday, a separate protest was staged in Bagan, in the lower part of Kurram, against damage to shops and homes in the area. Protesters demanded the reopening of roads and assistance for affected individuals. However, district administration officials cited security concerns, including recent firing on passenger vehicles and tribal clashes, as the reason for the closures.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
