April 14, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 7, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 13: The government on Sunday expressed the hope that the law and order situation would improve in the Kurram Agency by Monday after tribal elders of the two rival sects agreed to cease fire and hand over their positions and bunkers to the Frontier Constabulary.

According to a press release issued here on Sunday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has directed Rehman Malik, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior, to take concrete measures to maintain peace in the troubled tribal region where people of the two sects have been fighting for several months.

Mr Malik discussed the issue with Governor of the NWFP Owais Ghani and senior army officers and sent regional coordination officer Umar Afridi to initiate talks.

After four-hour talks in Parachinar, the two sides agreed to a truce.

It may be mentioned here that tribal leaders of both sects had declared ceasefires six times on government intervention but all accords were violated.

The government claimed that a grand jirga to be held in a few days would take up all issues of the Kurram Agency.

Meanwhile, Zaheerul Islam, the political agent of the Kurram Agency, distributed rations among the people.

People of the tribal area have been facing an acute food shortage because the main road to the tribal agency has remained closed because of the fighting.