Pak security forces demolish bunkers in Kurram as  part of peace deal between Shia, Sunni tribes

PESHAWAR, Feb 9: Pakistani security forces have demolished 10 more bunkers in the strife-torn Kurram district as part of a peace agreement reached between warring Sunni and Shia tribes, officials said on Sunday.

  The peace accord was signed between Alizai and Bagan tribes on January 4 after sectarian clashes resulted in the killing of 133 people in the district between November 21 and December 2.

Under the agreement, residents pledged to surrender their weapons to the government in different phases within 15 days, while the dismantling of local bunkers is set to be completed by the end of February.

The bunkers, situated in the Pewar and Gaiddu areas, were demolished using explosive materials during a joint operation carried out by the security forces and police, officials said. The demolition process was started on January 10.

There are more than 250 bunkers in the lower and upper Kurram district. Forty-eight bunkers have been demolished so far.

In line with the peace pact, Kurram district officials have started planning a strategy for collecting arms and ammunition from the warring tribes. The process is expected to proceed once a comprehensive and feasible strategy for the surrender of these weapons is developed. Representatives of the rival tribes, who participated in a jirga (tribal council) at the Commissioner House in Kohat on Thursday, have been briefed about the procedure for handing over their weapons and ammunition to the administration.

For the past four months, the local population in Kurram has been experiencing significant hardships due to the closure of the main Peshawar-Parachinar highway at Thall. This blockade has led to severe shortages of essential goods, including food, medicines, and other necessities.

Ali Hadi Irfani, a member of the Provincial Assembly from the region, has called on the government to provide emergency relief to the estimated 500,000 residents trapped in the district. According to officials, 453 vehicles carrying essential supplies have been sent to Kurram so far, and relief funds are also being distributed to help the affected populations.

The violence in Kurram district erupted after an attack on passenger vans near Parachinar on November 21 last year in which 57 people were killed. The attack triggered the violent clashes between the Sunni and Shia factions, exacerbating the sectarian tensions in the region. (PTI)