SUKKUR: The Sindh High Court, Sukkur bench, has fixed a petition against holding of jirgas (tribal courts) for hearing on August 6.

The petition was filed by senior Advocate Ghulam Shabbir Shar on Tuesday amid several back-to-back jirgas held in different parts of the province over the past few weeks.

In his petition, Advocate Shar has drawn the attention of the judiciary to blatant violation of Constitution and contempt of court by chieftains of various tribes, clans and communities as well as politicians.

The Supreme Court and Sindh High Court had already declared holding of jirgas to settle dispute or prosecute and punish offenders unlawful, he recalled, and said the jirgas had long been serving as a parallel judicial system. He said jirgas continued to be held off and on even after the SHC had banned them in 2004. He said that Article 175/2 of Constitution disallowed any such activity.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2021