PESHAWAR: Feuding communities in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday agreed to a new 10-day ceasefire, as the death toll from a week-long spate of sectarian violence rose to 111, officials said.
“A ten-day ceasefire between the warring parties in Kurram has come into effect as of today,” the office of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the district is located, said in a statement.
The statement caps a day of continuing hostilities, with provincial officials saying that the death toll from the latest spate of violence had climbed to 111, including 79 Shias and 32 Sunnis. Another 88 people were injured.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, but Kurram district — in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan — has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
The provincial minister’s office added that troops will be deployed at key locations in Kurram to enforce the ceasefire and compensation will be provided to the victims’ families.
“Negotiations will continue to ensure lasting peace,” the statement said.
The latest violence began last Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed, and at least 43 people were killed.
Provincial officials brokered a seven-day truce this weekend but it did not hold.
Police have regularly struggled to control violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
Last month at least 16 people, including three women and two children, were killed in a sectarian clash in Kurram.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people had been killed between July and October in sectarian clashes.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) reached an unprecedented milestone on Thursday, with the benchmark KSE-100 index surpassing 100,000 points for the first time in history.
The index stood at 100,334.91 after gaining 1,065.66 points by 10:48 AM, recovering from its biggest-ever decline of 3,506 points, or 3.57 percent, earlier this week.
The market’s rally is attributed to a combination of positive economic developments, including Pakistan’s new $7 billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has bolstered investor confidence.
The IMF’s disbursement of the first tranche of approximately $1 billion in September, along with fiscal and monetary reforms, has improved market sentiment.
“A remarkable 150 percent return from 40k to 100k in just 17 months,” Mohammad Sohail, CEO of Topline Securities, exclaimed in a social media post. “New IMF loan coupled with fiscal and monetary discipline [is] improving investor sentiment. Moreover, faster than expected fall in inflation and interest rates [is] adding cash liquidity to the stock market.”
The PSX’s historic rise coincides with a steady decline in inflation and interest rates, which have provided liquidity to the market.
Pakistan’s inflation dropped to 12.5 percent in October, from its peak of over 38 percent earlier this year, creating a more favorable environment for investors.
Additionally, the three-day state visit of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko to Pakistan has contributed to optimism. The two nations signed multiple agreements aimed at boosting trade and investment, signaling Pakistan’s efforts to stabilize its economy and attract foreign investment.
The PSX’s growth trajectory reflects its resilience over time.
“From less than 1,000 points in the late 1990s to 100,000 today, market is up 100 times,” Sohail said, adding the milestone was a testament to the ups and downs, bull runs and bear runs, optimism and pessimism the market had endured over the last 25 years.”
He maintained the PSX’s performance underscored the resilience and potential of Pakistan’s financial sector, even amid ongoing economic and political challenges.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation on the PSX crossing 100,000 points for the first time.
“This milestone showcases the trust of the business community and investors in our policies,” he said in a statement. “It is a testament to the hard work of our economic team and officials working to promote investment in the country.”
The premier also reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring economic stability and national progress.