Warring tribes in Pakistan agree to cease-fire after deadly clashes

Muhammad Ali Saif, a spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, announced the cease-fire, saying both groups have agreed to exchange prisoners, including women, and return the bodies of the deceased.

Government officials, including a delegation that flew into Parachinar, the district’s main city, mediated the agreement by holding separate talks with Sunni and Shiite tribal elders over the weekend. “Positive developments have been made in engagements with stakeholders,” Saif said.

Kurram, which borders Afghanistan, has a history of sectarian strife, with its majority Pashtun population divided between Shiite and Sunni tribes. While tensions often revolve around governance failures and tribal rivalries, Thursday’s attack reignited hostilities tied to the land dispute.

No group has claimed responsibility for the convoy ambush. Sectarian violence is not uncommon in Pakistan, where Shiites make up about 15% of the population in a Sunni-majority country.

Efforts will now focus on maintaining the cease-fire and finding a long-term resolution to the dispute, officials said.

(With inputs from Reuters, AP)