PESHAWAR: The main road between Peshawar and Parachinar, the headquarters of the tribal Kurram district of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, remains closed for the last 72 days with no end to the tension between two warring tribes.
As a result of the road blockades, supply of essential items in the area has been blocked and there are reports that 19 children have died of different diseases in the area due to absence of medical care and essential medicines.
About 200 people have been killed in the clashes between two tribes in Kurram for the last about three months. Though the two sectarian tribes have agreed on a ceasefire but they have not been able to reach an agreement for restoration of peace.
A grand Jirga formed by the government comprising representatives from different walls of life across the province has been in Kurram for over two weeks negotiate a peace agreement but it has failed to achieve the desired results.
A government official in Peshawar said that the two tribes were not ready to surrender their heavy arms to ensure that they did not get involved in fighting each other again.
He said without surrender of the heavy weapons by both the tribes, the main roads to the area would not be opened. He also said that the grand Jirga had been asked to finalize a peace agreement between the two tribes within three days.
