By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A fragile ceasefire took root in Pakistan’s restive Bajaur district on Sunday, as negotiators from a local tribal council and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) struck an agreement to halt hostilities after three grueling rounds of talks, Dawn newspaper reported on Monday.
The deal, brokered in Lowi Mamund tehsil, marks a rare breakthrough in a region scarred by years of militant violence, raising cautious optimism for a peaceful resolution to one of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s most intractable conflicts.
The Bajaur Amn Jirga, a 50-member peace council led by Sahibzada Haroon Rashid, spearheaded the negotiations, pressing the TTP to withdraw from civilian areas, a demand the militants conditionally accepted late Saturday.
By Sunday evening, after discussions that stretched beyond Maghrib prayers, both sides committed to suspending attacks until a lasting settlement emerges. “I’m satisfied with today’s meeting, which lasted for seven hours,” Rashid posted on social media before briefing senior officials, though he declined to elaborate further to journalists, citing ongoing consultations.
Two jirga members, speaking to Dawn newspaper, described how Saturday’s progress, bolstered by high-level officials who met with tribal leaders that night, paved the way for Sunday’s extended session.
“Officials decided to give negotiations another chance to resolve the conflict peacefully, leading to the third round of talks,” Dawn quoted a source as saying. The jirga has urged the TTP to either retreat to Afghanistan or confine their fight to remote mountainous zones, a plea aimed at shielding Bajaur’s communities from further bloodshed along the porous Afghan border.
While the ceasefire has sparked hope, not all in Bajaur share the sense of progress. On the same day the truce was sealed, residents of Thangi in Salarzai tehsil gathered at Toot Shah Chowk for a separate jirga, pleading with authorities to preserve a local security post slated for dismantlement.
Established years ago as a bulwark against militant incursions, the outpost remains a lifeline for a community still haunted by the specter of violence. “Abandoning the post would put our lives in peril,” warned one elder, his words echoing the collective dread of attendees who see the structure as their last defence.
The appeal lays bare the tension rippling through Bajaur: even as peace talks advance, the specter of vulnerability looms large, underscoring the fragile balance between de-escalation and enduring security threats.
Across the district, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JAMIAT-F) marked a somber milestone, commemorating the second anniversary of a devastating bombing that tore through its rally near Khar on July 30, 2023. The attack, which killed 64 people and wounded 122, mostly party supporters, cast a long shadow over Sunday’s gathering at Madressah Jamia Rashidia in Saroo Wanoo. Yet the event doubled as a defiant stand, blending remembrance with a renewed call for dialogue over military might.
Maulana Abdur Rashid, the JUI-F’s local leader, joined Maulana Kareemullah and Mufti Mohammad Naeem to address the assembly, vowing to pursue “a peaceful struggle for the enforcement of Islamic law and the socioeconomic development of the district.” “Despite the deadly bombing of the party’s rally on July 30, 2023, JUI-F is still standing firm on its narrative and position,” Rashid said. “We will continue the martyrs’ mission and play an active role in promoting peace and people’s prosperity.”
The leaders voiced alarm at Bajaur’s worsening security, pointing to recent military operations in Lowi Mamund tehsil as a flawed response to terrorism. “Military operations are no solution to the issue,” Rashid insisted. The ceremony closed with a collective prayer for the fallen, a poignant reminder of the stakes in Bajaur’s uncertain future.
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