KOHAT: Urging the Shia-Sunni elders to exercise maximum restraint, the commissioner Kohat division Thursday said the government would take all possible steps to maintain peace in the area.

Addressing grand peace jirga of representatives of both the religious sects, he said the maintenance of law and order was the top priority of the administration and the elements disturbing peace would be dealt with an iron hand.

Javed Ibrahim Paracha, Saifullah Khan Afridi, Shah Hussain, Zahid Hussain and members of the divisional peace committee attended the jirga. The commissioner asked the jirga members to finalise timeframe to resolve Hangu issue before Muharram. He said that Shia community would be allowed to take out procession in consultation with representatives of the Sunni community.