Kurram peace jirga to resume in Kohat today

• Jirga to reportedly resume at 11am in Kohat Fort today. 
• Authorities work to broker peace in violence-hit Kurram. 
• Potential signing of agreement to reopen blocked roads. 
  

The grand peace jirga, convened to mediate talks between the warring tribes of the violence-hit Kurram district, is scheduled to resume today (Tuesday) in Kohat at 11am, as authorities work to broker peace following nearly two months of crisis in the region.

The progress in the peace talks, ongoing at Kohat Fort for two months under the supervision of GOC 9 Division Major General Zulfiqar Bhatti, aims to establish lasting peace between the warring tribes whose clashes have claimed over 130 lives since November. 

Despite multiple truces announced over the past year, the issue remains unresolved, with tribal elders continuing efforts to negotiate a permanent peace agreement.

Former federal minister Sajid Hussain Turi said on Monday that the grand jirga was likely to sign an agreement for lasting peace in today's sitting. Turi, who is also a member of the jirga, expressed hope that the agreement would pave the way for reopening major roads and restoring stability in the district.

Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, announced last week that a general consensus had been reached between the rival tribes during the Kurram peace jirga. He further disclosed that the forum, through mutual consultation, had granted two additional days to one party for further discussions with its leadership on unresolved points.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Anjuman-e-Hussainia Association, Jalal Hussain Bangash, confirmed that all demands and proposals had been accepted and that the Turi Bangash tribe had signed the agreement.

The recent clashes have exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in Kurram, with medicine and oxygen supplies running critically low due to the prolonged closure of the main highway linking Parachinar to Peshawar. Reports suggest that over 100 children may have died from a severe shortage of medicine, though Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Saif has denied these claims.

In addition to the ongoing sit-in at the Parachinar Press Club, the road closures have sparked protests in Karachi, now in their eighth day. On Monday, a separate protest was staged in Bagan, in the lower part of Kurram, against damage to shops and homes in the area. Protesters demanded the reopening of roads and assistance for affected individuals. However, district administration officials cited security concerns, including recent firing on passenger vehicles and tribal clashes, as the reason for the closures.