In a major development, a peace agreement has been brokered between the warring tribes of Kurram in light of the decisions taken by the K-P apex committee.
As part of the truce agreement, all bunkers in the troubled district will be demolished and weapons will be surrendered.
Following the agreement, the K-P government also sprang into action and decided to open key roads leading to Kurram and initiate the movement of vehicles in caravans starting January 4. The restive Kurram district was disconnected from the rest of the country due to the precarious law and order situation which had forced the K-P government to provide food and medicine supplies through helicopter to people stranded in the area.
In response to the dire situation, the apex committee meeting was held under the chair of K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The meeting, attended by federal interior minister Mohsin Naqvi and senior army officials, took important decisions.
The meeting was followed by a Jirga comprising members of the warring tribes. The Jirga worked towards reaching a consensus and finally an agreement containing 14 points was signed by both sides.
Peace Agreement
All previous collective agreements, including the Murree Agreement, and their decisions as well as tribal traditions, will remain in force. However, the members of the Kurram Peace Committee will be bound to restore peace and follow all agreements by making them more effective in the interest of the people of district Kurram.
The government should take punitive action against those individual(s) who are indulged in any subversive act on government road. Besides, the village peace committees located on the road will be bound to cooperate with the government and other institutions. In case of any untoward incident, the people of the area will prove their innocence in line with local traditions and laws. In addition, if any individual(s) harboured safe haven to any unscrupulous element, such a person will be deemed as guilty under the prevailing law.
As per Murree agreement, all displaced families will be settled in their respective areas whereas no hindrance will be created in their resettlement. A committee will be formed to help the displaced families.
The land disputes in the district Kurram will be resolved keeping in view the ToRs of Land Revenue Commission. The commission will start working at the earliest and the Kurram Peace Committee as well as local administration will cooperate with the commission to resolve outstanding issues.
Neither the brandishing of weapons will be allowed nor will permission be granted to collect donations for buying arms.
No person (s) will give a personal dispute the colour of sectarian rift. Banned organizations based on sectarian hatred will not be allowed to open their offices, and legal action will be taken in case of violation. No obstacle will be created on roads and pathways of communication.
All government servants, including teachers, will perform their duties in district Kurram without any interference and sense of fear.
The unscrupulous elements will be punished for posting material on social media that hurt the sentiments of any of the parties. Those who support such elements will be deemed as equal partners in the crime.
The peace committees will play a key role if any untoward incident occurs in any area, with the other party refraining from retaliation. Members of the village committees will cooperate in managing the situation.
In case of a conflict between any two villages, the third village will not aggravate the situation, rather the peace committees of other villages will attempt to heal the rift between the feuding villages.
There will be a complete ban on establishing all kinds of bunkers. Besides, all the existing bunkers will be demolished in one month.
The ceasefire between the warring tribes will be long-lasting and peace efforts will continue.
Meanwhile, K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said the efforts of the provincial government have yielded positive outcome. He termed the agreement between the warring tribes an important step towards durable solution of the Kurram issue. He welcomed the development and congratulated all the participants of the peace process.
He appealed to both parties to reject elements that fan hatred and disunity.
Welcoming the deal, Barrister Saif, Adviser to the K-P chief minister, said one of the parties had signed the agreement a few days ago while the other party signed the instrument on Wednesday.
He congratulated the people of Kurram district over the development and expressed hope that the region will usher into a new era of peace and prosperity. He said things will soon get back to normal in the area.
In a related development, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas announced an end to the ongoing protests across the country, following the successful agreement between the warring factions.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Abbas highlighted the months of hardship faced by the people of Kurram due to blocked routes.
Likening the situation to Gaza, the MWM leader stated that essential supplies like medicines had been cut off and people were suffering in Kurram. He said authorities had paid little attention to their plight, which led to protests from Karachi to Gilgit-Baltistan.
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