PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has said that any party involved in aggression in Karam district will be treated as terrorists after removing the existing bunkers from the area.
Adviser to KP Chief Minister Barrister Mohammad Saif said on Friday that Karam would be cleared of arms and bunkers to ensure long-term peace as per the decision of the apex committee.
Barrister Saif stressed that both the parties involved in the conflict have been given 15 days to provide a detailed plan of action regarding the surrender of arms. Apart from this, there will be a strict ban on display and use of weapons in public in Karam. There will also be a ban on fundraising for weapons purchases in the region.
According to the adviser to the KP Chief Minister, the construction of new bunkers is prohibited under the recently concluded peace agreement. All existing bunkers must be dismantled within a month, after which any group involved in hostilities will face strict action as terrorists.
He added that travel and security arrangements for convoys to Karam as part of disarmament efforts are underway.
The district administration has also confirmed that the central Peshawar-Parachinar highway will be reopened for convoys, with obstructions strictly not allowed.
The two warring tribes in Kurram finally reached an agreement and signed a peace deal on Thursday after days of talks.
The agreement came after a Grand Jirga held in Kohat, where 50 meetings were held to reach a consensus. All parties contributed to the peace agreement, which aims to restore stability to the conflict-torn region.
Jirga member Malik Swab Khan said the 14-point agreement, aimed at bringing peace to the region as violence gripped the region for weeks, was signed by 45 members from each side. had done
The KP Apex Committee had last month decided to dismantle all private bunkers in Kurram district as part of efforts to restore peace in the area.
Karma crisis
Karam, a district of more than 600,000 residents near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, has long been a hotbed of sectarian violence.
Despite several cease-fires declared over the past year, the issue has not been resolved, with tribal leaders continuing efforts to negotiate a permanent peace agreement.
Recent months have seen a rise in tensions, with more than 200 people killed in clashes since July.
Clashes that began in November have exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in the district, with supplies of medicine and oxygen running low due to the prolonged blockade of the main highway linking Parachinar to Peshawar.
Reports suggest that more than 100 children may have died due to acute shortage of medicines, although Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Saif has denied these claims.
Apart from the ongoing sit-in at the Parachinar Press Club, road closures have sparked protests in Karachi, now in their ninth day. On Monday, a separate protest was held in Bagan, lower area of Karam, against damage to shops and houses in the area.
The protesters demanded the reopening of the roads and aid for the affected people. However, district administration officials cited security concerns, including recent firing on passenger vehicles and tribal clashes, as reasons for the closure.
The district was declared “disaster-affected” by the provincial government, with officials sending medical supplies to the area and evacuating people in dire need.
Asserting that all major points have been agreed upon, Barrister Saif said that the bunkers will be dismantled and the area will be de-weaponised as per the decision of the Apex Committee.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to finding a permanent and sustainable solution to the more than a century old conflict.