Kurram unrest: peace accord inked between warring tribes

KOHAT: A peace agreement has been signed between the warring tribes to restore peace and stability in the Kurram district.

The peace agreement was reached at a grand Jirga being held in Kohat Fort.

The Jirga, supervised by GOC 9 Division Major General Zulfiqar Bhatti, has been ongoing for two months at Kohat Fort.

Kohat Commissioner Mutasim Billah Shah, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abbas Majeed Marwat, and the deputy commissioners of Kohat, Hangu, and Kurram also attended the jirga.

As per the agreement in the Jirga, both sides have agreed to surrender heavy weaponry to the authorities, and any party found in violation will face penalties.

The agreement emphasises the implementation of the 2008 Murree Accord to uphold peace.

For three weeks, a jirga has worked to mediate peace and finalise an agreement between warring factions in Kurram, with facilitation from the Pakistan Army.

Starvation in Parachinar; no shrouds to bury the dead

The region remains in turmoil as the main Parachinar-Peshawar highway, the Pak-Afghan border, and several key routes in Upper Kurram have been blocked for over two and a half months.

More than 100 villages in Parachinar and Upper Kurram are suffering severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and other essentials. The prolonged blockade has forced the closure of hotels and businesses for three weeks.

Protests continue across the district, including a sit-in at the Kurram Press Club, now in its ninth day. Demonstrations are also underway at Sultan, Gosa, Chinarabad, and two other locations, with residents demanding the reopening of routes and restoration of basic supplies.