KOHAT, April 30: The regional coordination officer has announced that a jirga for restoration of peace in restive Kurram Agency has been formed which will hold its first meeting in Kohat on May 10.

Briefing journalists at Circuit House here on Wednesday, RCO Omar Afridi said that the jirga, comprising 25 members from each sect, would hold talks for the removal of hurdles in the establishment of lasting peace in Kurram Agency.

The agency bordering Afghanistan turned into a battlefield for rival groups since April 16 2007. The riots erupted in November last and February after the suicide blast following which the rival tribes burnt and looted houses and shops of each other. More than 198 people were killed and hundreds were injured in the clashes. More than 7,000 people were forced to migrate to safer places.

The RCO said that the jirga would hold its first meeting in Kohat on May 10 and collect Rs20 million from each tribe as surety for obeying its decision. The jirga would meet elders of both sides and take them into confidence.

He lauded the efforts of the Hangu Peace Jirga members regarding for brokering ceasefire between the two tribes. He said that the sectarian clashes were the handiwork of a handful of miscreants whereas majority of the people were peace loving. He said that the government had made arrangements for overcoming shortage of flour, wheat and other edible in Kuraram Agency.

He urged people not to take law in their hands and patiently wait for the result of peace jirga. He said that government would utilise all available resources for ensuring safety to the lives and property of the people besides compensating their losses.

He told journalists that the administration had estimated losses sustained by both sides and in this regard a report for the payment of compensation had been sent to Fata Secretariat.

The political agent of Kurram Agency, Zaheerul Islam, district coordination officer of Kohat, Kamran Zeb, district coordination officer of Hangu, Shahabulllah Shah, district nazim of Hangu, Afzal Khan and elders of the area were present on the occasion.

OPERATION CALLED OFF: Police called off the proposed operation in Lachi area against the car thieves who had killed three policemen and injured another on Tuesday.

Inspector General Police Malik Naveed, who termed the incident an act of terrorism, had ordered Frontier Constabulary to help police which had surrounded a large area to track down the criminals.

The forces spent Tuesday night in the area preparing for an operation on Wednesday morning. However, the operation was called off following information that the killers had managed to escape from the area, officials said.

COMPENSATION: The provincial government has announced Rs 800,000 each as compensation for the families of the three police officials who were killed during an encounter with a gang of car thieves on Tuesday afternoon in Kohat.

The government also announced Rupees one lac for the injured inspector Zafarullah Khan as a special grant.

Meanwhile, after the burrial of the three police officials in Karak district, the authorities called in commandos and a team of anti terrorist quick response force which had been deployed in Lachi area where the encounter took place to arrest the killers.