The two groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa agreed to a seven-day ceasefire in Kurram on Sunday after days of clashes that have killed at least 76 people and injured dozens, a government official said.
The clashes started after gunmen attacked convoys of civilian vehicles on Thursday, killing at least 49. 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.
“The delegation, which also engaged with Sunni elders, successfully brokered a seven-day ceasefire agreement between the two parties,” Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Ali Saif said after returning from Kurram.
He led the provincial government delegation to Kurram’s Parachinar on Saturday to meet leaders of both sides. The team met with Shia leaders the other day and stayed overnight to meet with Sunni leaders on Sunday (today) to try to broker a ceasefire deal and then move to resolve the matter.
He went on to add the government team was “working closely” with local leaders to facilitate dialogue. The parties have also reached a complete agreement to return each other’s captives and bodies, Saif said in a statement.
“Efforts are under way to resolve all issues amicably to reduce tensions,” the CM’s adviser said and added that there have been “positive developments” in engagements with stakeholders.
He reiterated the chief minister’s instructions that all issues should be resolved through dialogue.
Officials said the death toll from retaliatory violence since Thursday’s bus attacks had risen to at least 76 and dozens of injured. There were fears that the toll would increase amid communication blackout in the area due to sensitivity of the matter.
A helicopter carrying the government delegation was also shot at but managed to land safely on Saturday. But the provincial law minister denied such reports.
Many homes have been evacuated while markets and schools remain closed.
Earlier in the day, police said that fierce clashes were reported near the village of Ali Zai in Lower Kurram.
They claimed that tensions escalated when a large militia unexpectedly advanced from the Mandrovi area, located five kilometres from Bagan, towards the village.
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Police added that the militia, departing from Mandrovi, first attacked the two villages of Jilamai and Char Diwar within the boundaries of Ali Zai. After intense fighting, the armed group managed to seize control of both villages.
The Kurram deputy commissioner confirmed that reports of fierce clashes were coming in from areas near Ali Zai. But details regarding casualties from the confrontations were not yet been provided by the police or district administration.
Meanwhile, Hangu police confirmed that angry protesters blocked the road from Hangu to Kohat, disrupting traffic as vehicles were forced to use alternative routes. They demanded a military operation against all banned organisations.
