'Kurram aggressors to be treated as terrorists after dismantling of bunkers'

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has said that any party engaging in aggression in the Kurram district will be treated as terrorists after the removal of the existing bunkers from the region.

KP Chief Minister's Adviser Barrister Muhammad Saif said on Friday that Kurram will be cleared of arms and bunkers to ensure long-term peace in line with the Apex Committee's decision.

Barrister Saif emphasised that both sides involved in the conflict have been given 15 days to provide a detailed plan for surrendering arms. Additionally, there will be a strict ban on the public display and use of weapons in Kurram. Fundraising for arms purchases in the region will also be prohibited.

According to the KP CM's adviser, the construction of new bunkers is forbidden under the recently signed peace agreement. All existing bunkers must be dismantled within a month, after which any faction engaging in hostilities will face strict action as terrorists.

He added that travel and security arrangements are underway for convoys heading to Kurram as part of the disarmament efforts.

The district administration has also confirmed that the main Peshawar-Parachinar highway will be reopened for convoys, with obstructions strictly disallowed.

The two warring tribes in Kurram finally reached a consensus and signed a peace agreement on Thursday after days-long negotiations.

The agreement follows a grand jirga held in Kohat, where 50 sessions were conducted to reach a consensus. All parties played a pivotal role in the peace pact, which aims to restore stability in the conflict-hit region.

The accord containing 14 points aimed at establishing peace in the area as violence plagued the restive territory for several weeks, was signed by 45 members of each party, Jirga member Malik Sawab Khan said.

The KP Apex Committee last month decided to dismantle all private bunkers in the Kurram district as part of efforts to restore peace in the region.

Kurram crisis

Kurram, a district of more than 600,000 residents near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, has long been a hotspot for sectarian violence.

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

Recent months have seen escalating tensions, with clashes since July to date leaving over 200 people dead.

The clashes that erupted in November exacerbated a 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.

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 ninth 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.

The district was declared "disaster-hit" by the provincial government with authorities airlifting medical supplies to the area and evacuating people in critical need.

Underscoring that a consensus has been reached on all major points, Barrister Saif had said that bunkers would be abolished and the area would be de-weaponised as per the Apex Committee's decision.

He reaffirmed the government's resolve to achieve a permanent and sustainable solution to the conflict dating back more than a century.