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| India-Pakistan |
| Jirga manages truce in Parachinar |
| 2008-01-05 |
| The Hangu peace jirga succeeded on Friday in managing a temporary ceasefire between the warring Sunni and Shia groups in the Parachinar area of Kurram Agency. NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai had formed a peace jirga of 14 members to help stop fighting between the two religious sects, which has claimed several lives. Zaheer said in a statement that there was an undeclared ceasefire in the agency since Thursday afternoon and that not a single shot had been fired anywhere in the area. “There was complete lull in the night between Thursday and Friday and the situation remained under control,” he added. The political agent asked the media to confirm reports before publishing them in the larger national interest. A spokesman for the FATA Secretariat also rejected the reports as “fabricated”. The spokesman said in a statement that the situation in the agency was under control, adding that there had been no major clash in the agency in the last 2 to 3 days. Firing: Sporadic firing incidents were reported in Sadda, Balish Khel, Ali Zai, Sangeena, Ibrahim Zai and Khawar Kili. No loss of life was reported. According to official figures, 62 people have died and 183 injured in individual firing incidents since December 24, 2007. The FATA Secretariat spokesman hoped the jirga would succeed in convincing both sides to sign a permanent peace agreement. |
| Posted by:Fred |