By Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Tribal elders on Thursday mediated and secured a temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan to retrieve the dead body lying on the Pak-Afghan border Zero point for the last one week, Jirga members said.
On the Pakistan side, in Khyber district, led by prominent tribal and political figures, including Malik Tajuddin Shinwari, chairman Shah Khalid Shinwari, Murad Hussain Afridi and Mufti Ijaz, along with several other elders and community leaders. The delegation, white flags in their hands, reached the Torkham border zero point and met with Afghan tribal elders.
On the Afghan side, tribal elders, including Malik Haji Mustyar Shinwari, Malik Mullah Khan Shinwari, Raees Gul, Majid Shinwari, and Malik Darya Khan, Wali Khan Shinwari, along with other community leaders.
Both sides’ elders first met Pakistani and Afghan authorities to participate in the humanitarian effort.
Local elder, Malik Tajuddin Shinwari, told Fata Voice that the ceasefire remained in effect until Thursday, 5:30 pm, on humanitarian grounds. He said they obtained assurances first and an oath from authorities on both sides to respect the pause in fighting during this period.
Shinwari said the temporary truce allowed tribal representatives to reach the conflict zone, where the body was lying near Zero Point in the Torkham border crossing. He said the deceased was identified as an Afghan citizen, adding that the Afghan Jirga members told them that the body could be shifted after the approval of the Afghan government and ensure the handover of it to the family for proper burial.
Tribal elders from both sides said the initiative was purely humanitarian and based on sympathy for the victims of the conflict. They urged forces on both sides to respect the principles of war and ensure that those killed in the clashes were returned to their homeland so funeral rites could be performed according to local traditions.
The development took place after nearly thirteen days of intense clashes between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban border forces in the Torkham area. The fighting has reportedly caused casualties and injuries on both sides, while civilians living near the border have also been affected.
Residents of villages close to the border have fled to safer areas due to continued shelling and missile fire, raising concerns about the humanitarian situation in the region.
Tribal elders in the Jirga expressed hope that the temporary ceasefire and their joint efforts would help ease tensions and prevent further loss of life along the sensitive frontier.
