KURRAM: Ongoing tribal clashes in Kurram entered their eighth day on Thursday. The death toll has now reached 107, despite a ceasefire agreement claimed a day earlier.
Police confirmed five more deaths and nine injuries in the most recent fighting. This renewed violence came after rival tribes agreed to a 10-day truce. According to a statement from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s office in Kurram, the ceasefire officially began on Thursday.
Tribal clashes in Kurram have claimed at least 107 lives so far. The victims include 52 people killed in an ambush on a convoy on November 21. Police reported that the recent confrontations have left 55 dead and 140 wounded.
The Parachinar-Peshawar road has remained closed for eight consecutive days due to the violence. This has severely disrupted daily life in the district. Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud revealed that trade with Afghanistan at the Kharlachi border has also been suspended. Adding to the community’s struggles, internet and mobile services remain blocked in the area.
Efforts to enforce the ceasefire are underway. Mehsud shared that a jirga of elders from Hangu, Orakzai, and Kohat is traveling to Parachinar for negotiations. Both sides have agreed to halt hostilities, and measures are being taken to ensure the truce holds.
The violence began last Thursday when two police-escorted convoys were ambushed. Authorities have struggled to restore peace in Kurram, a region that merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018 after being part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Last month, 16 people, including women and children, died in a tribal feud in Kurram. Between July and October, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported 79 deaths in similar incidents.
Earlier attempts to broker peace, including a seven-day ceasefire arranged by provincial officials, have failed. A high-powered government team, led by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, recently negotiated a week-long truce. Despite the involvement of top officials like Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, IGP Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, and Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi, the agreement could not be implemented.
