EDITORIAL: The 14-point peace deal signed by rival Kurram district tribes comes as a great relief, no doubt, but those counting on it to decisively put a lid on the region’s tribal/sectarian conflict that flared up yet again, this time in the guise of a decades-old property dispute, might be getting ahead of themselves.
For, if the past tells us one thing about this troubled part of the country it is that such deals, hammered out under pressure of the government, stem the hate mongering and the killing only till it resumes.
That is why it is extremely important to realise that the peace deal is only the beginning. The state and all district-level stakeholders must now ensure its implementation. They should be very quick to get off the mark, confiscate all heavy weapons and destroy all bunkers, then go on to secure all routes in and out of the district that have been open killing fields for far too long.
One can only hope that everybody involved learned at least two very important lessons from the tragedy that unfolded over the last few months. One, it led to road closures that deprived the area, especially Parachinar, of crucial food and medical supplies, resulting in painful suffering and needless deaths that could and should have been easily avoided.
It showed, all over again, how easily the sectarian bloodlust that has characterised the region for decades can eat up innocent people who just happen to get caught in the middle of it, including little children in need of medicines that never arrived.
And two, sectarian tensions are never confined to any one corner of the country and, once triggered, take very little time to spread all over the place. The way protesters blocked roads, interrupted daily life and harmed businesses in major cities, especially Karachi, must have reminded the government how easily things can get out of control.
Nobody needs to be reminded of the fragility of the present moment, of course, when the country is only barely moving on from the threat of immediate economic collapse and sovereign default. Such things not only bring bad headlines and worse optics, but also spook any foreign investor that might be looking to take advantage of our expanding financial markets.
That is why extra effort will be needed from all sides, especially the central and provincial governments, to make this deal different from previous efforts at securing long-term peace in Kurram district. All sides have lost far too many near and dear ones to allow this madness to go on any longer. It’s just disruptive elements that destroy the peace every time it is achieved that need to be hunted down and sorted out as soon as possible.
And there lies the biggest test of political and security authorities. Achieving the peace was only the beginning. It’s keeping the peace that is going to be difficult. And we’re still very far from the moment when this matter can be declared settled and closed.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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