KURRAM: Warring sides in Kurram tribal district have agreed to cease fire and end hostilities as the government acknowledged on Wednesday the loss of 25 lives since the clashes began on Oct 24, officials said.

“There is a total ceasefire in the district and not even a single bullet has been fired today [Wednesday]. Police and other law enforcement agencies have taken control of the bunkers,” district police officer Mohammad Imran told Dawn, adding efforts were underway to bring life towards normalcy as soon as possible.

Though officials insisted that a controversial video clip had triggered the clashes on Oct 24, the underlying factor was a land dispute between the two groups in the sensitive district.

“For this land dispute, the government has constituted a special land commission, whose task is near completion,” a senior official in the provincial capital said, adding the tribal elders from both the sides along with jirga members from Kohat played an exemplary role in restoration of peace in the area.

“The government will try its best to reopen all the closed routes in a day or two so that life returns to normalcy in order to ensure availability of daily-use commodities and medicines in the area,” the official said.

“A total of 25 persons have lost their lives and both the groups have agreed to vacate the bunkers,” the official said, adding the fight between miscreants left an impact on life of common people.

The official also stated that several jirgas were held, where local elders, government representatives and officials of law enforcement agencies helped to improve the situation in the district.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2023