MANSEHRA: District police officer Ahsan Saifullah on Tuesday warned that strict action would be taken against the people exploiting jirga system to serve own interests.

“We want the people to approach only the dispute resolution councils, which have been established to substitute the jirga system being exploited by its members for personal benefits,” the DPO told a news conference here.

DSP Zulfiqar Jadoon was also preset on the occasion.

Mr Saifullah said the jirgas took place in the district mostly to decide matters in the breach of the law. Such jirgas are unacceptable to us, the police, and therefore, we’re having a close watch on them,” he said.

The DPO said the police recently arrested all members of a jirga in Oghi over a vani decree to settle an honour-related case.

He said the dispute resolution council settled more than 650 cases of cognizable offences in 2016 alone. “I think the establishment of DRCs is a big relief for the people as they have to pay not a single penny to get justice from them,” he said.

Mr Saifullah said drastic changes were being made to the procedures governing DRCs to make the process of dispute resolution easier and more effective.

He said the current term of the Mansehra DCR chairman and members expired recently and that the selection of their successor would take place soon.

The DPO said after the success of DRC in Mansehra, two such bodies were being set up in Oghi and Balakot tehsils.

He said anyone could approach him from anywhere in the district either by telephone call or SMS for prompt action on complaints and dispensation of justice.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2017