The final agreement of the jirga formed by the provincial government to end the ongoing violent tension and establish peace in Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is expected tomorrow (Tuesday).
Independent Urdu has received the details of the agreement between the parties in the Jirga, which have not yet been announced at the official level.
Some of the Jirga members have confirmed the points of agreement with Independent Urdu, but some of them are yet to be finalised.
On November 21, at least 42 people were killed in an attack on a convoy of vehicles going to Para Chinar in Uacht area of Lower Karam Tehsil of Karam.
The following day, angry protesters torched shops in Bagan, the main bazaar of Lower Karam, and nearby houses, further escalating tensions between the parties in the area. The highway leading to the area has also been closed since then, leading to shortages of food and medicine.
On this dispute, a Jirga was formed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government under the chairmanship of Provincial Spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, which has held several meetings so far.
What are the main points of the expected agreement?
The parties in the Jirga have reportedly almost agreed on a 14-point agreement, the first point of which is regarding the local peace committee.
According to the agreement, the local peace committee will resolve any dispute and failing that, the district committee will look into the matter.
In case of failure of local committees, Grand Jirga, Government and law enforcement agencies will intervene.
An important point of the agreement is the collection of heavy weapons and the destruction of fronts. It has already been decided by the provincial cabinet and apex committee.
Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif had told the media persons in a local hotel yesterday that the final decision of the government is to collect the arms and demolish the fronts.
According to him, the parties have been given time till February 1, 2025, during which time the parties will surrender heavy weapons as per the decision of the Apex Committee.
He further said about the weapons that ‘Heavy weapons do not mean Kalashnikov etc. but anti-aircraft guns, missiles and RPGs which are used and now we have decided to take strict action on its use. will.’
One of the points of the agreement is that the bunkers will be dismantled within a month and the roads and highways will be protected.
In Karam, the parties have established fronts in their respective areas, from where heavy weapons are used against each other.
The main highway of the area, Tilpara Chinnar, has been closed for the past two months due to which the residents of Sada area of Upper and Lower Karam are facing severe problems.
To secure the same highway, Barrister Saif said, “We have decided to recruit 400 more policemen, the work on which has already started.”
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He said that two contingents of police and Frontier Corps (FC) have also been deployed, while check posts will be set up on the main highway.
Another point in the agreement is regarding any action in the area, which states that the residents of nearby villages will be responsible in case of any incident.
However, one party has objected to this point. Jirga member and former National Assembly member Fakhr Zaman told Independent Urdu that the aspect will be discussed that if the people of the village prove themselves innocent, then no action will be taken.
Fakhr Zaman said: ‘This point will be further discussed today and tomorrow, while the rest of the details of the agreement that Independent Urdu has are the same.’
One of the major reasons for the communal riots in Karam is land disputes and this was also admitted by the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amin Gandapur in the Provincial Assembly.
According to the Interior Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, there are land disputes in about eight places in Karam, which are called annexed lands. According to the agreement, land disputes will be settled under the Land Commission and the customary law (tribal law).
In this regard, Fakhr Maan said: ‘It will be discussed that the land disputes that can be resolved according to local customs will be resolved according to local customs and the rest of the land will be commissioned.’
Another point of the agreement is regarding social media and hate speech, according to which strict action will be taken against such persons.
It is written in the agreement that no tribe will give shelter to those who violate this peace agreement.
According to the district administration and police, 24 people have lost their lives as a result of the arson and subsequent clashes in Bagan (Photo: Journalist Rehan Muhammad).
Jirga members informed that the 14-point agreement has been signed by one side, but signatures of the other side are yet to be signed.
According to Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, head of the Jirga, there has been a general consensus between the parties, but one party has asked for two days’ time on only a few points.
He said: ‘The agreement will be signed on Tuesday after the consultations are completed.’
When the points of the agreement received from the sources were sent to Kurram District Deputy Kushman Javedullah Mehsud, he told Independent Urdu that ‘consultation is going on on a couple of points and after that the agreement will be made public.’
