ISLAMABAD: The warring tribes in Kurram district, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border agreed on a ceasefire on Wednesday after a nine-day long bloody clashes which left 55 people killed and 105 injured while the region remained under communication blackout with cellular and internet services shut, and the road network closed, creating grave humanitarian crises.

Local officials and elders told Business Recorder that a ceasefire has been agreed upon following several rounds of discussions through a government-backed “grand Jirga” comprising elders from Kohat, Hangu, Thall, and other parts which also agreed to hold more rounds of talks today (Thursday) for reaching a “durable peace accord”.

“Yes, we have succeeded in enforcing a ceasefire and the clashes in all parts of the Kurram district finally stopped following hectic efforts,” confirmed a Jirga member, Ali Jawad Turi, while talking to this correspondent.

However, he maintained that the area is still under communication blockade, the Thall-Parachinar Road continued to remain closed which is creating serious humanitarian crises in a population of around 0.5 million people.

He said that the government and the concerned security agencies should ensure that Thall-Parachinar Road is open for all kinds of transportation and tight security arrangements are in place so that to avert any untoward incident.

Armed clashes erupted between the rival tribes on October 24 in various parts of Upper and Lower Kurram district, including in Boshehra, Dandar Colony, Kunj Alizai, Muqbal, Tari Mangal, and Pewar in Upper Kurram while in Balishkhel and Khar Kali in Lower Kurram.

According to official sources and verified by the locals, a total of 55 people were killed and 105 injured in the nine-day-long bloody clashes, as the warring groups were using, low, medium and heavy weapons against each other.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

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