Kurram tribes come to terms on 8-month peace deal ahead of Eidul Fitr

Tribal leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district on Saturday came to terms on an eight-month peace agreement ahead of Eidul Fitr.

Violence stemming from decades-old land disputes has claimed at least 130 lives in the fragile district, with multiple efforts to establish peace between tribes. A ceasefire agreement was reached following months of conflict in January.

However, the KP government had announced a fresh operation against militants in Kurram last month after security officials were martyred in multiple attacks. There were also several attacks on aid and supply convoys in the days after the ceasefire.

According to a press release issued by the jirga that inked the agreement, tribal elders gathered in Qila Abbas Saddar today to restore regional peace. Important decisions were taken in this jirga which would “promote harmony and cooperation among the people of 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 establishing a peace treaty for a period of eight months to prevent any kind of conflict in the area and to try to improve the situation.”

Under Saturday’s deal, the tribal elders decided that if any “unpleasant incidents” were reported on Kurram’s roads, then legal action would be taken according to the Kohat Agreement.

“In this agreement, 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, adding that after reaching a consensus, the KP governor and military leadership will be consulted.

The press release added that Saturday’s agreement also aimed to establish “cooperation with state institutions” and ensure that they take steps to establish peace in the region. Additionally, it was agreed that federal and provincial institutions would jointly announce the formal opening of roads.

“As a result of this jirga, both sects recognised the importance of cooperation and establishing peace with each other, which will improve the lives of the people of the region,” the release added.

The jirga called Saturday’s 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”.