PESHAWAR:
A tribal jirga organized by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has expressed serious reservations about a committee formed to restore the traditional jirga system in the merged tribal districts, which were earlier part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata)
The jirga held in Peshawar on Sunday also declared that a decision taken with regard to the merged districts without proper public representation and consultation would be unacceptable.
The jirga led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman brought together tribal elders and leaders from the merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Senior leaders like Maulana Jamaluddin, Maulana Abdul Rasheed, Malik Nasrullah Khan, Malik Shaheen, Malik Khan Marjan, Mufti Baitullah, Malik Nadir Manan, Abdul Khaliq Pathan, MNA Mufti Misbahuddin, Malik Shireen, and Dr GG Jamal addressed the gathering and presented key recommendations.
In a statement issued by the JUI-F, the jirga expressed concern about the rising incidents of terrorism and targeted killings in the former tribal districts, and demanded urgent and effective measures to ensure peace and protect lives and property in the region.
The jirga also rejected the recently proposed Mines and Minerals Bill, terming it against the interests of the tribal population and the country at large. It emphasized the need to re-engage tribal leaders and Pashtun representatives to devise a comprehensive and inclusive strategy for the region’s future.
The participants reiterated that no imposed solution would be acceptable in the tribal belt without the voice and will of the people
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a special committee on the merged districts which on July 1 initiated deliberations on revival of the traditional jirga system in former Fata. These districts, earlier called agencies, were merged with the K-P in early 2018 through the 25th Constitutional Amendment.
During the July 1 meeting, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Amir Muqam as the chairman of the committee stressed the need for an alternative justice system rooted in tribal customs but aligned with constitutional principles.
The committee also decided to form a sub-committee to draft recommendations and agreed to hold its next session in the K-P’s capital, Peshawar. The ANP and the PTI have already rejected the committee, which, they claim, does not represent the people of the merged districts.
