PESHAWAR, Dec 18: The Khyber Agency administration has summoned a Fata grand jirga to be held on Thursday to secure a ceasefire between two religious groups in the Tirah Valley.

This decision was taken at a grand jirga of the Afridi tribe which was held here at the Khyber House on Monday. Monday’s jirga was attended by former minister of state Malik Waris Khan, Haji Said Rehman, Malik Hindustan, Malik Sheen Akbar Malik, Malik Mohammad Ali, councillors Hasham Khan, Haji Saqi, and Malik Zahir Shah Afridi.

Assistant Political Agent in the Jamrud area Ahmed Khan Orakzai and Assistant Political Agent of the Bara area Attaur Rehman Orakzai urged the tribesmen to play their role in halting the armed conflict from escalating. The administration would play its role as an arbitrator, they added.

They said that tribal elders were duty bound to rise to the occasion and end inter-tribe differences by chalking out workable solutions and the government would support them in their endeavours.

The jirga observed that since a jirga was already working under Senator Hamidullah Jan Afridi to settle the matter, therefore, no other jirga would interfere in the matter until any progress was achieved by it. It also stated that the Fata grand jirga could play an important role in ending the dispute.—APP