THE National Assembly passed a bill on granting legal and constitutional cover to the jirga or panchayat system with 23 members out of 342 voting yes. The urgency of passing the bill and enacting the law is difficult to understand.

The panchayat or the jirga system in Pakistan has been controversial for a long time. Even if it was to be legalised, debates should have been initiated, and public hearings should have been conducted before enacting the law.

Inequalities and victims of wrong judgements often come to surface in these systems. It was a matter of importance demanding high engagement with stakeholders, but the urgency of the process in this bill makes it doubtful. We hope justice will always prevail.

Areeb Shirazi

Isamabad

Published in Dawn February 6th, 2017