The Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remains tense as clashes in several areas, including Sangina, Sadda, Balshkhel, Kharkalay, Maqbal, Bagan, and Alizai, have entered their eighth day.
According to police, the ongoing violence has claimed 107 lives and left 147 injured so far, with five deaths and nine injuries reported on Thursday alone.
Due to the unrest, the Peshawar-Parachinar highway remains closed, disrupting all types of traffic. Trade and transportation with Afghanistan through the Kharlachi border remain suspended, and educational institutions across the district have been shut for a week. The road closures have caused acute shortages of food, oil, and medicines in affected areas.
Parachinar Hospital has received 50 bodies and nearly 100 injured individuals over the past week, according to Medical Superintendent Dr Mir Hussain Jan. The hospital is facing difficulties due to a shortage of oxygen and essential medicines.
A Grand Peace Jirga from Kohat Division is reaching Kurram to mediate between the parties, said Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud. It will hold talks The jirga will hold talks with leaders of both sides, he added.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire between the warring parties has been extended by an additional three days, making it a total of 10 days.
In a high-level meeting in Mansehra at the residence of KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati on Wednesday, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, along with the chief secretary, IGP, and other officials, reviewed the latest developments in Kurram district.
The CM was briefed by the officials that a ceasefire had been declared between the warring parties in Kurram for 10 days, which was initially implemented for seven days. Negotiations are underway for a peaceful resolution of the issue, they said.
Law enforcement agencies will be deployed at all important locations to maintain peace. Similarly, an estimate will be conducted to compensate for the damages in the area. Security plans and SOPs were being issued for safe transportation in the area to open the closed highways.
The CM welcomed the ceasefire between the warring parties. He directed to complete the survey of financial losses in the area on priority so that the victims could be compensated as soon as possible. He also directed that financial assistance to the families of the deceased should be ensured soon.
Gandapur concluded that establishing lasting peace in the region was the top priority of the provincial government that will utilize all available resources for this purpose.
