SWAT: The people of Kalam and Utror areas here on Sunday agreed to cease fire on the request of a jirga.

An armed clash over a pasture dispute had left five people from both the sides dead and 14 others injured on Saturday morning. As many as 22 persons from both the sides were taken hostage.

However, to stop further bloodshed the district administration had formed a jirga of elders from different parts of Upper Swat. The elders met members of both the groups on Sunday morning and motivated them to withdraw from the disputed land.

“Afterwards, both the sides vacated the disputed land and released the hostages on the request of jirga. They also handed over the bodies to their families,” Upper Swat Superintendent of Police Darwaish Khan said, adding the situation in the area was calm as police and security personnel had been deployed to ward off any unpleasant incident.

He said link roads in Utror valley were also reopened.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2021