Rival sectarian groups agree to seven-day ceasefire in Pakistan

Local Sunni and Shia equipped groups person clashed for decades, but the astir caller warring has killed much than 30 people.

Pakistani officials person announced a seven-day truce betwixt rival sectarian groups aft days of clashes killed dozens of radical successful the northwest of the country.

The violence betwixt the groups began connected Thursday aft gunmen attacked civilian convoys, sidesplitting astatine slightest 40 people, who chiefly were Shia Muslims. In retaliation, residents successful the country of Kurram targeted Sunni Muslims.

Local Shia and Sunni Muslims person engaged successful sectarian rivalry for decades implicit a onshore quality successful the Kurram territory successful the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, adjacent the borderline with Afghanistan.

Following the violence, Muhammad Ali Saif, spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial authorities and a subordinate of the mediation team, said connected Sunday that some sides had agreed to a seven-day ceasefire.

“They volition besides speech prisoners and instrumentality bodies to 1 another,” Saif said.

He added that the ceasefire announcement should halt much insignificant clashes reported successful the district’s distant areas.

The mediation squad flew into Parachinar, Kurram’s main city, connected Saturday and met with Shia and Sunni leaders portion the territory was nether a virtual curfew with equipped groups roaming the streets successful galore villages.

Akhtar Hayat Gandpur, the constabulary main of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and different subordinate of the mediation squad said Shia leaders were calling for the contiguous apprehension of those progressive successful attacking civilian vehicles arsenic good arsenic compensation for the victims.

The Pakistani authorities has yet to sanction who the attackers were publicly, and nary 1 has claimed responsibility.

Earlier connected Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said that erstwhile a truce is agreed upon, “we tin statesman addressing the underlying issues”.

Sectarian violence

Last month, astatine slightest 16 radical were killed successful Kurram, including 3 women and 2 children, owed to clashes betwixt the 2 equipped groups.

Police person struggled to power the unit successful the area, which was portion of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa successful 2018.

But the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 radical were killed betwixt July and October successful sectarian violence.

Fighting successful July and September lone ended pursuing a tribal assembly calling for a ceasefire.

On Friday, respective 100 radical demonstrated against the unit successful Karachi and Lahore.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies