Barrister Saif assures of additional security measures in Kurram

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has assured of additional security measures to ensure lasting peace in the violence-marred Kurram district.

Noting that the recruitment of 400 police personnel has already been approved to secure the Kurram highway, Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif has said that new police checkposts will be established and two platoons of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) will be deployed to ensure lasting peace in the area.

His statement comes after the two warring tribes in Kurram, following days-long parleys, signed a peace agreement containing 14 points aimed at establishing peace in the area after weeks of violence on Wednesday.

"Both sides have agreed to hand over their weapons to the government," jirga member Malik Sawab Khan told Geo News on Wednesday.

The peace deal came after the grand peace jirga — under the supervision of GOC 9 Division Major General Zulfiqar Bhatti — was convened at Kohat Fort to mediate talks between the two sides.

The jirga, as per Barrister Saif, held more than 50 sessions during which members made sincere efforts for peace while being supported by the administration including the commissioner and the deputy inspector general of police (DIG).

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

The recent clashes, which claimed over 130 lives since November, exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the district, with medicine and oxygen supplies running critically low due to the prolonged closure of the main highway linking Parachinar to Peshawar.

Meanwhile, the death toll since July stands in excess of 200 in the district home to over 600,000 residents.

Justifying the road closures as a move aimed at preventing further bloodshed, the KP CM's adviser said that the government was fully aware of the issues.

Speaking on the relief efforts, he said that the chief minister had dedicated his helicopter to airlifting people and medicines into the area.

"Around 15 tonnes of medicines were delivered and more than 700 people were provided air services," he remarked.

Commenting on the ongoing sit-in at the Parachinar Press Club, he said that the protest was no longer justified as the demonstrators' demands had been accepted.

Saif further said that the government will soon commence the process of providing compensation to the affectees.