PESHAWAR, Dec 29: The government on Saturday constituted a jirga to broker a ceasefire in Kurram Agency where over 200 people had been killed in recent clashes.

A handout issued here said that the jirga comprising prominent elders from various sects would visit the violence-hit region on Sunday and hold talks with representatives of the warring groups.

The setting up of the jirga is the continuation of an earlier peace committee that had been sent by the governor for brokering peace between the conflicting parties in the agency, the handout said.

The jirga would negotiate with all parties to find ways for complete enforcement of a peace deal and ensure opening of all roads in the agency.

It would ensure that the conflict did not spread to other areas.

Reports said that sporadic clashes continued in different parts of the agency and Parachinar was still under curfew. Local people said that rival groups had been targeting each other with heavy weapons.

They said the militants had attacked a cluster of villages in Alizai and Tangai areas on Friday night which was repulsed.

The government asked the Election Commission to postpone the upcoming polls in NA-37 and NA-38 in Kurram Agency due to the prevailing lawlessness in the region.

A statement issued from the Civil Secretariat, Fata, said the government was doing its best to restore peace in the area.

All stranded people had already been evacuated by helicopters, medicines provided to health units on an emergency basis and security personnel deployed on key points to keep roads open in the agency.