KARACHI: A Pakistani religio-political party announced on Wednesday an end to its sit-in protests in the southern port city of Karachi after warring tribes in Pakistan’s northwestern Kurram district signed a peace agreement to end prolonged violence that started in November.
The Majlis Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM) had been leading demonstrations at over 10 locations in Karachi since last week to protest the violence in Kurram, which has long been plagued by tribal and sectarian clashes.
The unrest escalated after a deadly ambush on a convoy on November 21 killed 52 people, mostly Shias, triggering clashes that have since claimed at least 136 lives in the district, home to a population of around 600,000.
“I announce the conclusion of the sit-ins and protests held in Pakistan and around the world in support of the oppressed people of Kurram district,” Senator Allama Raja Nasir, the leader of MWM, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “From Karachi to Khyber, the elderly, youth and women who braved harsh cold weather to hold sit-ins in solidarity with their compatriots are remarkable and unparalleled individuals who awakened the government and security institutions from their slumber.”
He described the peace agreement as a positive development, adding that his party would continue to raise its voice and strive for the permanent resolution of Kurram’s issues until the agreement was fully implemented.
The sit-ins in Karachi had disrupted life in the port city, drawing sharp warnings from the Sindh administration that threatened stern action if demonstrators did not move their protests to designated spots.
Tensions boiled over earlier this week when law enforcement officials clashed with protesters in Karachi.
Meanwhile, in Kurram, warring factions signed the peace agreement on Wednesday following weeks of mediation by a grand jirga — a council of tribal and political elders formed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial government.
Under the agreement, both sides pledged to dismantle bunkers, surrender heavy weapons to the government, and refrain from using arms against each other.
“Both sides have agreed on the demolition of bunkers and the handover of heavy weapons,” KP government spokesperson Muhammad Ali Saif said in a statement. “We congratulate the people of Kurram on the signing of the peace agreement, which will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in Kurram.”
Saif added the agreement would ensure a return to normalcy in the district.
According to the agreement, violations will trigger government action with the cooperation of a peace committee against the offending area.
Kurram, situated along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, has a history of violent tribal conflicts and militant attacks. A major conflict between Sunni and Shia tribes erupted in 2007 and continued for years before a jirga-mediated truce was reached in 2011.
