Warring tribes agree on 7-day ceasefire in Kurram as dozens killed in clashes

• KP govt delegation flew to Parachinar to meet tribal leaders.
• Both parties agree on 7-day ceasefire, says Barrister Saif.
• Clashes started after gunmen attacked convoys, killing at least 44.

The warring tribal groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district have finally agreed to a seven-day ceasefire after days of clashes that left at least 30 dead and injured dozens, a KP government spokesperson said on Sunday.

"The two parties have agreed to return each other's hostages and bodies," Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said in a statement after the delegation, under his chairmanship, met the tribal leaders in a bid to stop the clashes. 

He noted that the government delegation flew to Parachinar — Kurram's main city — on Saturday to meet leaders of both sides.

The delegation met both warring parties today to try to broker a ceasefire deal and then move to resolve the matter.

Armed groups have attacked settlements that are populated by members of rival groups.

"Approximately 300 families have relocated to Hangu and Peshawar since this morning in search of safety," a senior official told AFP, adding that more families were preparing to leave the violence-hit district.

The clashes started after gunmen attacked convoys of civilian vehicles on Thursday, killing at least 44. That sparked retaliatory attacks and there have been pitched battles between armed groups from both sides.

At least 75 people have been killed over the past three days in the ongoing gun battles between different tribes, according to police.

It is pertinent to mention here that tribal and family feuds are common in the area.

Last month, at least 16 people, including three women and two children, were killed in a clash in Kurram.

Previous clashes in July and September killed dozens of people and ended only after a jirga, or tribal council, called a ceasefire. HRCP said 79 people died between July and October in clashes.

Several hundred people demonstrated against the violence on Friday in Lahore and Karachi.

In Parachinar, the main town of Kurram district, thousands participated in a sit-in, while hundreds attended the funerals of the victims of Thursday’s attack.

The latest violence drew condemnation from officials and human rights groups.

The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) urged authorities this month to pay "urgent attention" to the "alarming frequency of clashes" in the region, warning that the situation has escalated to "the proportions of a humanitarian crisis."