Former federal minister Sajid Hussain Turi has assured that tribal leaders are prepared to address all issues between Shia and Sunni communities through dialogue, but emphasized that the government must first take key actions, including reopening roads and taking a stand against the banned terrorist group, Khawarij, formerly known as the TTP.
“We are ready to sit down and resolve all Shia-Sunni issues together, but the government must first reopen the roads and take decisive action against Khawarij,” Turi said in an interview on a private news channel. “Once these steps are taken, we are ready to sign an agreement.”
His statement came during the grand jirga meeting in Kohat, aimed at resolving the ongoing Kurram issue. There were expectations that both sides would reach an agreement by the end of the day.
Negotiations are currently ongoing after a series of official jirga meetings, which were initiated to address the violence that followed an attack on a passenger convoy on the Kohat-Parachinar highway on November 21. The attack claimed the lives of more than 130 individuals, including women and children, and led to the closure of the highway.
In solidarity with the victims of Parachinar, the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen organized sit-ins in Karachi for five consecutive days. Earlier today, police launched a crackdown on the protesters, leading to clashes, with demonstrators throwing stones at law enforcement officers.
