Pakistan strikes seven-day ceasefire deal between warring sectarian groups

Armed Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims person engaged successful tribal and sectarian rivalry for decades implicit a onshore quality successful Kurram territory adjacent the Afghanistan border.

“Both sides person agreed to a week-long ceasefire which is expected to beryllium extended,” Muhammad Ali Saif, a subordinate of the mediation team, told Reuters by phone, adding that large clashes had already stopped.

Saif, who is besides the accusation curate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, wherever Kurram is located, said some sides had besides agreed to speech prisoners, including women, and the bodies of those killed successful the clashes.

The prisoners and bodies volition beryllium exchanged with assistance from Pakistani paramilitary forces.

The squad flew into Parachinar, Kurram’s main city, connected Saturday and met Shi’ite and Sunni tribal leaders with the full territory nether virtual curfew and equipped groups roaming the streets successful galore villages.

Saif said quality of the ceasefire should besides halt smaller skirmishes that had been reported successful distant areas of the district.

Another subordinate of the mediation team, Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, the constabulary main of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said Shi’ite leaders were demanding the contiguous apprehension of those progressive successful attacking rider vehicles, arsenic good arsenic compensation for the victims and information assurances for travellers.

The authorities is yet to place oregon publically sanction who the attackers were and nary 1 has claimed responsibility.
Two authorities sources, who asked to stay anonymous owed to the sensitivity of the matter, said the decease toll from retaliatory unit since Thursday’s autobus attacks had risen to astatine slightest 28, putting the wide toll astatine 68.

Armed groups stormed into settlements inhabited by members of rival sects. Many homes person been evacuated, portion markets and schools stay closed and respective petrol stations were acceptable alight, the officials said.

They said they feared the decease toll could emergence arsenic communications successful the country are down, making accusation difficult to obtain.