Peshawar:
A Jirga Tribal organized by the Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) expressed serious reserves concerning a committee formed to restore the traditional Jirga system in the merged tribal districts, which were earlier from the tribal areas administered by the Federal Government (FATA)
The JIRGA held in Peshawar on Sunday also said that a decision taken with regard to the districts merged without public representation and appropriate consultation would be unacceptable.
The Jirga led by the head of Jui-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman brought together former tribal and managers of the merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
High leaders like Maulana Jamaluddin, Maulana Abdul Rasheed, Malik Nasrullah Khan, Malik Shaheen, Malik Khan Marjan, Mufti Baitullah, Malik Nadir Manan, Abdul Khaliq Pathan, Mna Gufti Misbahuddin, Malik Shireen and Dre Gg Jamine presented the recommendations.
In a press release published by JUI-F, JIRGA expressed its concern concerning the increase in the incidents of terrorism and targeted murders in the old tribal districts, and required urgent and effective measures to ensure peace and protect life and goods in the region.
The Jirga also rejected the recently proposed bill on mines and minerals, considering it against the interests of the tribal population and the country as a whole. He underlined the need to re -engage tribal leaders and Pachtoune representatives to design a complete and inclusive strategy for the future of the region.
The participants reiterated that no solution imposed would be acceptable in the tribal belt without the voice and the will of the people
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif trained a special committee on merged districts which, on July 1, launched deliberations on the rebirth of the traditional Jirga system in the old Fata. These districts, previously called agencies, were merged with the KP in early 2018 until the 25th constitutional amendment.
During the July 1 meeting, the Minister of States and border regions Amir Muqam as chairman of the Committee underlined the need for an alternative justice system rooted in tribal customs but aligned on constitutional principles.
The Committee also decided to form a subcommittee to write recommendations and agreed to hold its next session in the capital of KP, Peshawar. The ANP and the PTI have already rejected the Committee, which, according to them, does not represent the people of the merged districts.
