KOHAT, Aug 6: A meeting of a peace jirga on Wednesday termed involvement of ‘sinister’ elements, giving sectarian colour to the war between militants and security agencies, the main hurdle in achieving a breakthrough in the deadlock in talks between the Taliban and government representatives for the release of hostages, it is learnt.

The jirga met in the Hangu district to devise a strategy for safety of passengers being kidnapped by rival groups from the Kohat-Parachinar road and said the Taliban issue was related to the sectarian problem too, which must be addressed first. Many outfits had jumped into the arena and now the issue had also been politicised at the federal government level, it said.

Officials acquainted with the latest developments taking place in the region said the main reason for so much turmoil for the last more than a decade was the interference by foreign agents fanning sectarianism in the whole belt right from Darra Adamkhel and Kohat to Parachinar. The agents were financing militancy, military sources said. “It is all about economy and oil and the struggle between several giants. Everyone wants to knock down the other,” he remarked.

The jirga was presided over by Regional Coordination Officer (Kohat) Omer Afridi and attended by Hangu District Coordination Officer Shahabullah Shah, Orakzai Agency political agent Kamran Zeb, Kohat Deputy Inspector-General of Police Qudratullah Marwat, Kohat District Nazim Gohar Saifullah and elders of the area.

Talking to Dawn, Hangu District Nazim Khan Afzal said the government should release the captured militants because the talks could not move forward otherwise and the issue would rather get complicated.

“Nobody is in favour of a military option for release of the hostages. So if the matter has to be resolved on table, why is the government delaying the release of the militants whose commander has already released six hostages as a goodwill gesture on a request of the jirga. And there is no middle way”.

It may be recalled that the process of swapping hostages with captured militants was jeopardised due to violation of the ceasefire agreement by local militants. The militants released nine hostages out of 29 government officials, but later kidnapped five more people. A brother of the district

nazim of Hangu also went missing along with his three friends after the agreement.

The biggest task for the jirga was to develop trust between the government and militants, allegedly being hampered by foreign interference.

Now it has been agreed in principle that both the Shia and Sunni elders should first meet each other and find some way to make the Kohat-Parachinar road safe and ensure sectarian harmony in the region.

The administration of Kohat will call the elders from the two sides residing along the road and take fresh guarantees from them.