- Strict ban on public display of weapons in Kurram.
- The Peshawar-Parachinar highway will soon be reopened for convoys.
- 50 jirga sessions organized to finalize the peace agreement.
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced that any party resorting to aggression in Kurram district will be treated as terrorists once the existing bunkers are dismantled.
KP Chief Minister’s lawyer advisor Muhammad Saif on Friday said that as per the decision of the apex committee, Kurram would be cleared of weapons and bunkers to ensure long-term peace.
Lawyer Saif stressed that both parties involved in the conflict had 15 days to provide a detailed plan for returning the weapons. Additionally, there will be a strict ban on public display and use of weapons in Kurram. Raising funds for the purchase of weapons in the region will also be prohibited.
According to the KP CM’s advisor, construction of new bunkers is prohibited under the recently signed peace agreement. All existing bunkers must be dismantled within a month, after which any faction engaged in hostilities will face strict measures as terrorists.
He added that travel and security arrangements are being made for convoys heading towards Kurram as part of the disarmament efforts.
The district administration also confirmed that the main Peshawar-Parachinar highway would be reopened for convoys with obstructions strictly prohibited.
The two warring tribes in Kurram finally reached a consensus and signed a peace agreement on Thursday after days of negotiations.
The agreement followed a grand jirga held in Kohat, where 50 sessions were held to reach consensus. All parties played a central role in the peace deal, which aims to restore stability to the conflict-hit region.
The agreement, which contains 14 points aimed at establishing peace in the region as violence has raged in the restive territory for several weeks, was signed by 45 members from each party, said Jirga member Malik Sawab Khan.
The KP apex committee last month decided to dismantle all private bunkers in Kurram district as part of efforts to restore peace in the region.
Kurram Crisis
Kurram, a district of more than 600,000 residents near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, has long been a hotbed of sectarian violence.
Despite multiple truces announced over the past year, the issue remains unresolved, with tribal elders continuing their efforts to negotiate a permanent peace deal.
Recent months have been marked by an escalation of tensions, with clashes since July leaving more than 200 people dead.
Clashes that erupted in November have exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the district, with supplies of medicines and oxygen critically low due to the prolonged closure of the main highway linking Parachinar to Peshawar.
Reports suggest that more than 100 children may have died due to a severe shortage of medicines, although Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Saif has denied the claims.
In addition to the ongoing sit-in at the Parachinar Press Club, the road closures have sparked protests in Karachi, which are now in their ninth day. On Monday, another protest took place in Bagan, lower Kurram, against the damage caused to shops and houses in the area.
Protesters demanded the reopening of roads and assistance to those affected. However, district administration officials cited security concerns, including recent shootings at passenger vehicles and tribal clashes, as the reason for the closures.
The district was declared “disaster struck” by the provincial government, as authorities airlifted medical supplies to the area and evacuated those most in need.
Stressing that consensus has been reached on all major points, lawyer Saif said the bunkers would be abolished and the area would be dearmored as per the decision of the apex committee.
He reaffirmed the government’s determination to achieve a permanent and lasting solution to this more than century-old conflict.