PESHAWAR / KURRAM: The two warring sides in Kurram are likely to sign an agreement today (Tuesday) that would end the violence that has plagued the restive region for several weeks now, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government said on Monday.

“We are sure that an agreement would be signed during the meeting of the Grand Jirga, convened at 11am on Tuesday,” KP government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club.

Former federal minister Sajid Ali Turi, who is also a member of the Grand Jirga, told Dawn that district administration had convened the Jirga in Kohat, wherein a peace agreement will be singed and other steps for lasting peace, including opening of roads, would be followed.

Barrister Saif, on the other hand, said that one of the warring sides had agreed to sign the peace agreement after through deliberations, while the other side asked for two days to discuss the proposals, on Saturday. “The Jirga will meet 11am on Tuesday and they will join it,” he said.

Roads not being reopened as a precaution until peace deal finalised, says Barrister Saif

He said that de-weaponisation of the district was one of the thorniest issues, which led to a prolonged delay in the signing of an accord. He said that KP Apex Committee and provincial cabinet had also decided that the both parties have to surrender their weapons. He said that both sides would surrender their weapons and demolish the bunkers, while the road to the area would be opened in the next phase.

Barrister Saif said that if the road was reopened while both sides retained their weapons, then tensions could flare up again and spread across the entire district.

“As a precautionary measure, we are not going open the road till the signing of the peace accord and government is assured that both parties are ready to surrender their weapons,” he said.

He said that as long as both parties possessed heavy weaponry, then the authorities could be establish peace in the district.

He said that the situation in the Kurram has resulted into loss of lives and road to Parachinar was also closed due to the clashes. He said that previously authorities managed to get the both parties agree to ceasefire agreement for a week which has been now been extended for indefinite period of time. In addition to this, Barrister Saif said that both parties were respecting the ceasefire agreement. However, he said that wherever there were flare-ups and violation of peace agreement, authorities with the assistance of security forces intervened to contain them.

He said that provincial government was working to resolve this issue once and for all. He said that achieve this, a Grand Tribal Jirga has been constituted by the provincial government and Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur himself travelled to Kohat at the start of jirga’s meeting.

Separately, Kurram residents are facing a crisis situation due to the closure of roads for past several weeks.

Mir Afzal Khan, a local elder told Dawn that the markets in the district have shut down after running out of edibles and other commodities. Besides, sit-ins were in progress in Parachinar, Sultan and Gosar areas of the district while another sit-in has started in Bagan area against the losses of houses and bazaars. The protesters are demanding of opening roads and compensation for their losses.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2024