KHYBER: The Khyber district administration has convened special jirga meetings with tribal elders and maliks in Jamrud, Bara and Landi Kotal in accordance with the chief minister’s special instructions under the Good Governance Policy.

A notification issued by the deputy commissioner from Khyber House said that the first jirga would be held in Bara on Sept 23, the second in Landi Kotal on Sept 25 and the third in Jamrud on Sept 27, where district administration officials and heads of all relevant departments would also be present.

However, no reason was given in the notification for convening jirga meetings.

The notification drew criticism from the representatives of political parties, supporters of the erstwhile Fata, and elected members of local bodies.

Political activists, LB members reject move, insist DCs can’t implement jirga decisions

Fata Qaumi Jirga chairman Malak Bismillah Khan told Dawn such jirgas won’t yield positive results as the deputy commissioners were too powerless to implement jirga decisions.

“These jirgas will be no more than mere photo sessions as they can’t take any major decisions or resolve local disputes. They’re not as powerful as they used to be under sections 8, 11 and 12 of the Frontier Crimes Regulation,” he said.

Awami National Party president in Khyber tribal district Shah Hussain Shinwari said there was no need for calling special jirga meetings as deputy commissioners were “totally toothless” under the new dispensation, which had delegated all powers to govern the merged tribal districts to the local sector commanders of security forces.

He said that the district administration was just fulfilling a formality instead of genuinely working to resolve the issues facing the people of tribal districts.

“Administrations in the seven merged tribal districts have failed to initiate any major development project in the last six years, showing their interest in resolving people’s issues,” he said.

Bara Siyasi Ittehad president Sherin Afridi said jirga sessions would be an exercise in futility as tribal elders and pro-administration maliks would say what they’re dictated by the district administration instead of highlighting the problems of the ordinary tribesmen.

He expressed ignorance about the purpose of jirga meetings and criticised the district administration for ignoring the representatives of political parties.

“The administration is wary of the role of political parties which raised the actual issues of the region in the past,” he said.

Jamaat-i-Islami leader Shah Faisal Afridi said the notification was the continuation of the previous repressive administrative system in the region.

He insisted that as long as the local political leadership wasn’t involved in the decision-making process, neither the local issues would be resolved nor would governance improve.

Bara tehsil council chairman Mufti Kafeel and Landi Kotal tehsil council chairman Shah Khalid also criticised the district administration for not inviting elected local body members to the jirga sessions and said they “won’t leave the field open to the blue-eyed maliks and elders during these jirgas while conveying the real sentiments of the people to the district administration.”

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2024