Jirga brokers ceasefire in Orakzai Agency
Daily Times, October 10, 2006
PESHAWAR: The political administration’s official jirga on Monday brokered a ceasefire between Shias and Sunnis after eight days of violence as four more people were killed over the disputed shrine of Mir Anwar Shah in Kalaya tehsil, lower Orakzai Agency.
The administration did not disclose the terms and conditions that had led to the ceasefire.
“The jirga members — former senator Sajjad Khan from Kurram Agecny, former MNAs Munir Orakzai and Javed from Orakzai Agency, retired Peshawar High Court judge Syed Ibne Ali and Ahle Tashai leaders Zamin Ali and Umer Ali — brokered the ceasefire on Monday evening,” the Orakzai Agencycy’s political agent, Dr Sher Alam Mehsud, told Daily Times. He said the jirga had succeeded in getting Shias to vacate the shrine and an adjacent Sunni Madrassa, both of which had been occupied for the last eight days.
“The Frontier Constabulary has once again taken control of the shrine and the madrassa,” he said, adding that FC personnel found two bodies of Shias inside the shrine, and two bodies of Sunnis outside, all of whom had been killed in rocket attacks before the ceasefire deal was brokered. The political administration confirmed that 29 people had died and 40 had been injured in the dispute over the shrine, and said that the majority of those killed were Shias. Locals, however, said that 54 people had died in the dispute that triggered sectarian clashes at the start of this month. “Residents, who left the area for their safety, have started coming back, and the situation is now under control,” said officials. staff report
No comments:
Post a Comment