SWABI: A jirga formed by the district police has resolved 130 disputes, including blood feuds, in November this year, sources in police and jirga members told this correspondent on Saturday.

The jirga was formed after consultation with key leaders and elders of the district.

The sources said that the jirga members and SHOs had been told that they should identify the main parties to different disputes in jurisdiction of their respective police stations and inform the district police officer. They said that the DPO then discussed these issues with the jirga and a joint move was made to visit the relevant families to convince them on resolution of their disputes.

The sources claimed that in November this year alone the jirga resolved 130 disputes of different nature that included 39 in Swabi tehsil, 28 in Razaar, 45 in Chota Lahor and 18 disputes in Topi tehsil.

When contacted, district police officer Mohammad Shoaib said that the initiative was taken to establish durable peace in the district. He said that amicable settlement of blood feuds and other local disputes was their priority. He said that jirga system had a great importance in Pakhtun society.

Saleem Khan advocate said that jirga enjoyed a unique place in the Pakhtun social set-up as it tended to completely settle disputes, turning people’s enmity into a brotherhood.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2021