Islamabad, Jan 1 (IANS): After weeks of intense negotiations, a 14-point peace agreement was signed between the rival tribal groups from different sects in Kohat city of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Wednesday, paving way for a ceasefire and the reopening of blocked routes and supplies to the district which has been devastated by violence and remained completely cut off from the rest of the country for over 80 days.
As per details, the agreement was signed by at least 45 members of each tribe following the Kurram Grand Jirga, or tribal court, with an agenda of establishing a long-lasting and sustainable peace in the district.
"The two warring tribes in Kurram have signed a peace agreement containing 14 points aimed at establishing peace in the area as violence has plagued the restive territory for several weeks now," said Malik Sawad Khan, member of the Grand Jirga, who was involved in negotiating the peace agreement.
"Both sides have agreed to hand over their weapons to the government. All bunkers will be dismantled and if anyone refuses to hand over their illegal arms and weapons, the government will take action against them," he added.
It has also been agreed between the two tribes that passenger convoys in each other's territories will not be attacked. The maintenance of law and order in the district will be done jointly by the Frontier Corps and the local tribes who will also be responsible for jointly handling any terror threat on the restive border with Afghanistan.
A committee will also be constituted to implement the agreed 14-points of the agreement with immediate effect which will work towards opening of blocked routes to Kurram and Parachinar region for food supplies, medical aid and trade in a bid to push normalcy in the region.
Shia-dominated Parachinar has been severely affected with almost no availability of food and medical supplies for over 80 days, resulting in the death of more than 65 people, including children and women due to shortage of medicines.
Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM), the largest political party representing Shia Muslims in the country, has staged multiple protests in Karachi, demanding peace and an end to the decades-long bloodshed and killing of Shia Muslims in in Kurram.
"We will end our protest after all roads towards Kurram are opened. We do not want anything from the government. We demand the right to live for our people. The situation in Kurram has turned into a catastrophe and we all need to stand in solidarity with the people of the region," said Allama Raja Nasir, head of MWM.
It was in Kurram district in the last week of November that a passenger bus convoy was ambushed and attacked, leaving at least 42 Shia Muslims dead.
The attack sparked a wave of sectarian violence between Shiite and Sunni communities, with multiple retaliatory assaults over the following days, raising the death toll to over 150.
"Many claim that the Kurram issue is a territorial fight between two tribes. But the fact is that it is a pure sectarian rivalry between Shia and Sunni tribes, who have been killing each other for decades and have been trying to gain control of territories," said Syed Yasir Shah, a local journalist from Kohat.
"We will have to see how fruitful this latest peace agreement turns out to be. In the past, many peace truces have happened but the issue has remained unresolved," he stated.
The current crisis was, in particular, one of the worst ever as it led to blockade of routes that resulted in the death of over 100 children, who could not get basic medicines.
"Now that they have signed an agreement, the immediate step should be to start the process of relief and rehabilitation of the affected people. But, I fear that both tribes would first be looking at each other's steps and checking if the weapons are surrendered or not. Asking them to do so and join the security forces will not be an easy step at all," said Shah.