CM Gandapur demands FC deployment to ensure peace in Kurram

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has urged the federal government to deploy Frontier Corps (FC) platoons to restore peace in Kurram district.

Over 120 people have been killed and dozens are injured in the clashes.

Speaking at a grand jirga in Kohat, Gandapur stated, “The priority must be peace in the region, and for this, the federal government must support us by deploying FC platoons.”

He further instructed security forces to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward those disrupting peace, labeling such individuals as terrorists.

Two more fatalities and 10 injuries were reported on Saturday, bringing the total death toll to 124 over the last 10 days. Burnt bodies of four abducted individuals were also recovered, adding to the grim situation.

Mobile and internet services remain suspended, and educational institutions are closed across the district.

The provincial government, supported by the military, police, and local administration, is intensifying efforts to curb violence.

Gandapur assured the jirga that the military has been deployed in the region at the provincial government's request to maintain peace alongside local law enforcement.

He directed authorities to dismantle all bunkers in the region without discrimination and ordered the confiscation of heavy weaponry from residents, including those in border areas.

The chief minister called on conflicting parties to adopt dialogue as the path forward, highlighting jirga traditions as a means to resolve disputes.

He urged local leaders to foster reconciliation and identify those responsible for inciting violence.

“Violence is never the solution. Negotiations and peacebuilding are the only ways forward,” Gandapur stressed, while assuring temporary displaced persons (TDPs) that their rehabilitation and dignified return would be prioritized.

He called for collective efforts from all stakeholders to ensure the conflict does not escalate further, while promising funds and resources to rehabilitate those affected by the unrest.