[Dawn] The three-year fragile and ineffective efforts for peace between warring sectarian tribes in Kurram Agency, home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism have received an unexpected boost in the shape of the controversial Haqqani network which is now trying to play peace broker. This has been confirmed by more than one source from among the key players involved in the peace processor.
The entry of the Haqqanis in the Kurram peace talks, which date back to 2007, has surprised many. After all, the network is usually mentioned in terms of its war theatre in Afghanistan and its base in North Wazoo. The US has been pressurising the government for months to dislodge the Haqqanis from North Wazoo.
Khalil and Ibrahim, sons of the network's founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, have reportedly been meeting tribal elders from the Kurram in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar and Islamabad to end the hostilities between the local tribes and bring peace to the area which has witnessed some of the worst clashes in its history over the past three years.
The last round of talks was held in Islamabad on Oct 10. "They first turned up at a meeting held in Peshawar in the first week of September," a tribal elder told Dawn.
This account is corroborated by another elder who adds that the two brothers were also present at the second meeting in the scenic provincial capital on Sept 16 and then at a subsequent one in Islamabad.
It is expected that elders and mediators will put their heads together in the next few days yet again to ensure sustainable peace in the area.
Although the ongoing spate of violence dates back to 2007 and the peace efforts to 2008, the Haqqanis have been in contact with the rival tribes since early last year.
In the early phase, Haqqani's senior 'commanders' negotiated with all the groups in Kurram on his behalf. But the talks remained inconclusive.
Now he has nominated his two younger sons which shows how important the region has become for the group.
However,
The infamous
However...
the people of the violence-wracked Kurram are apprehensive of the aims of the mediators.
Not only are they wary of those involved in fighting in Pakistain and Afghanistan, but also because they think that the involvement of the Haqqanis may not be possible without the tacit approval of the military which is reported to enjoy links with this group of Afghan jihad boys.