April 23, 2007	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 05, 1428

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PARACHINAR, April 22: Despite truce between rival groups in the Kurram Agency, the main road linking the troubled area with the rest of the country remained closed to traffic, causing hardship to general public and shortage of essential goods.

Residents of the area, particularly from upper parts of the agency bordering Afghanistan, have to travel Peshawar in army convoys because of insecurity on the road. Critically wounded people are yet to be shifted to Peshawar for treatment.

A jirga comprising elders from Orakzai and Hangu had brokered a ceasefire on April 12 after a week-long fighting between the rival groups which, according to the administration, left 84 people dead and some 204 wounded.

Sources told Dawn that there was a shortage of essential goods in various parts of the agency. The closure of the main since April 6 is badly affecting trade with Afghanistan. The area is main trade centre with Kabul after Torkham, Khyber Agency.

The agency is calm but tense and all private and public education institutions remained closed. Parachinar is still under night curfew. The administration announced that only government offices and banks would be allowed to open from Monday.

The administration has constituted a 100-member jirga to negotiate a durable peace in the agency.Meanwhile, the Supreme Council of Turi and Bangash tribes has demanded of the government to rehabilitate those families who were forcefully evacuated from the Sadda town in 1986.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, the council members said that outsiders had illegally occupied agricultural lands and businesses of the displaced people.