SWABI: The members of Peace Jirga Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday vowed to continue their struggle for eradicating the menace of interest-based business in the Swabi district.

They were speaking at the Chehlum of Jehanzeb Khan, who had committed suicide, last month after he was trapped in an interest-based business and could not pay the interest accumulated against him. The participants said they planned to establish the district wing of the jirga in Swabi to help uproot the interest-based business there.

Syed Kamal Shah, the jirga’s chairman, said its members would educate the people about the bad effects of such businesses as these were against the law of the land.

Arshad Manan Advocate, the jirga’s general secretary, said free legal support would be provided to the victims, but they had to identify those who extorted money from them.

Rahimzada, the jirga’s Mardan chapter chairman, said with the support of the government they would continue to make efforts to eradicate the menace from the society.

He said due to their efforts many people had given up the business and a number of families were set free from the clutches of the unscrupulous elements.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2018