Tribes in Pakistan's Kurram reach peace deal

Peshawar, Mar 30 (PTI) Warring tribes in the Kurram district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province signed an eight-month peace agreement on Saturday, marking a significant step toward solving their dispute just before Eid.
    Kurram, bordering Afghanistan, has long been a flashpoint for sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni tribes. Clashes between the two sides have killed more than 130 people since November.
    According to a press release by the jirga (tribal council) that inked the agreement, tribal elders gathered in Qila Abbas Saddar to restore regional peace. 
    Important decisions were taken to promote harmony and cooperation among the people in the area.
    “In this jirga, the Shia leaders of Alizai and the Sunni leaders of Bagan agreed to a peace treaty to restore peace and establish tolerance in the area through mutual consultation,” the press release read.
    The representatives of both sects agreed on a peace treaty for a period of eight months to prevent any conflict in the area and to try to improve the situation.
    The tribal elders decided that if any “unpleasant incidents” were reported, then legal action would be taken according to the Kohat Agreement, a peace framework developed last year that called for a ceasefire, disarmament, the dismantling of private bunkers in the area and government oversight to ensure sustainable peace.
    "Both parties have pledged that in case of any incident detrimental to peace in the area, they will consult each other and find a solution through legal means,” the press release reads.
    Under the terms of the deal, both parties have committed to resolving their differences through dialogue and negotiations, ensuring peace and maintaining law and order in the region. Both sides also pledged full cooperation with the government and security forces.
    Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hailed the Kurram agreement as a key step toward peace and stability in the province, emphasising that the government will continue working with the parties to ensure lasting peace.
    The jirga called the agreement “a new message of hope” for Kurram and that an attempt would be made to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity in the region.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)