The warring tribes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram reached a ceasefire on Sunday, the deputy commissioner said as the armed groups were removed from their positions.

“Following an agreement on a ceasefire between the warring tribes, armed groups have been removed from their positions and security forces and police have been deployed in those areas,” DC Javedullah Mehsud said in a statement.

The development came late in the evening as tribal leaders pushed for a truce and peace in the area. They have been making efforts after the provincial government brokered the seven-day truce did not hold.

Clashes erupted in the Kurram district on November 22, following an attack on a passenger convoy on November 21 that resulted in the deaths of 45 people, including women and children.

That sparked retaliatory attacks against the other community residents and there have been pitched battles between armed groups from both sides.

Armed men have engaged in a tribal and sectarian rivalry for decades over a land dispute in the Kurram district near the Afghanistan border.

“Discussions will now be held with jirga members and local leaders to open roads and establish a peace agreement,” Kurram DC said and added that elders and parliamentarians from the Kohat Division would visit the district to facilitate the peace process.

According to the district administration, “normalcy has been restored throughout Kurram.”

We are one when it comes to peace: Kundi

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi visited Kohat to attend the jirga, a day after Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur visited the area.

They offered prayers for the forgiveness of the martyrs and the swift recovery of the injured.

In his address, Kundi expressed gratitude to political leaders and elders for their attendance. “Everyone must play their part in maintaining peace and order. Political differences aside, we are all united in our efforts for peace,” he said.

The provincial governor added that a multi-party conference (MPC) has been scheduled for December 5 to discuss the situation. He reiterated that the “first solution” to any issue was through negotiation.

While speaking to the media, the governor urged CM Gandapur to contribute to peace instead of making “inflammatory statements” and stressed the need for an MPC

“We are willing to go to great lengths for the peace of Kurram and the province,” he said and slammed the provincial government for not focusing on the area.

“Ali Amin Gandapur should thank us for doing his job. For the sake of peace, we will tolerate everything the chief minister says,” Kundi stated and added that a grand jirga would soon visit the area.

He urged the provincial government to pay special attention to the district and advised the chief minister to focus on the welfare of his province.

‘Everyone has to on one page’

SAFRON Minister Engineer Amir Muqam stated that everyone must come together for peace in the province and urged the KP government to focus on the Kurram situation.

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He emphasised the federal government’s willingness to collaborate with the provincial government to establish law and order, noting that the people desire peace and an end to unrest in the country.

Clashes killed six people

Despite a ceasefire agreement among the tribes in Kurram district, clashes continued on Sunday. Incidents of gunfire resulted in the deaths of six more individuals and injuries to eight others, bringing the total death toll to 130. At least 186 people were injured.

Due to the tribal conflicts, key routes including the Peshawar-Parachinar highway have been closed, along with other access roads. Traffic has also been suspended at the main highway and the Pakistan-Afghan Kharlachi border, leading to severe shortages of fuel, food, and medical supplies.