The Kohat Jirga, aimed at resolving the Kurram crisis, will reconvene at 11 am today after being postponed due to a stalemate over the surrender of heavy weapons. The negotiations, ongoing for two months at Kohat Fort, are supervised by GOC 9 Division Major General Zulfiqar Bhatti.
Kohat Commissioner Mutasim Billah Shah, DIG Abbas Majeed Marwat, and deputy commissioners from Kohat, Hangu, and Kurram are also participating in the jirga.
Tribal clashes in Kurram, which escalated in November, have claimed over 130 lives. The crisis has been exacerbated by severe shortages of medicine and oxygen and the closure of the main highway connecting Kurram to Peshawar.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has declared Kurram a “disaster-hit” district, providing medical supplies and evacuating critically injured individuals. However, the issue of weapon surrender remains unresolved, delaying the reopening of roads.
Tribal elders, including Pir Haider, Haji Noor Jaf, and Inayat Hussain Turi, are actively engaged in the negotiations. Reports suggest several elders have signed the peace agreement, with the remaining signatures expected today.
The final decision will be announced at the Kohat commissioner’s office, potentially declaring the Kohat-Parachinar Road safe for travel.
Renowned scholar Allama Syed Shahenshah Hussain Naqvi is expected to arrive in Kohat from Karachi to meet the affected individuals and participate in the ongoing peace talks, adding his support to reconciliation efforts.
