The recent peace pact between Iraq's most influential Shia clerics - Muqtada al-Sadr and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim - is seen by political observers as a significant shift towards stabilising Iraq's warring Shia factions.

Inside Iraq asks if the pact will provide the anchor for political stability in Iraq and if the ceasefire declared last August will remain or if violence will flare up again after the six months dateline is up in February.