BAJAUR: A jirga settled a 70-year-old enmity between two families of Bajaur and neighbouring Mohmand tribal districts here on Thursday through dialogue.

The enmity between the families of Malik Sher Mohammad of Kamangra area of Bajaur and Malik Ismail of Alingar locality of Mohmand was result of a land dispute.

The dispute claimed lives of several people and caused huge financial losses to both the families. The dispute was resolved through the efforts of members of a joint jirga comprising the elders and religious leaders of both Mohmand and Bajaur tribal districts.

A ceremony to settle the enmity properly was held in Bara Kamangra area near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Nawagai tehsil here. The ceremony was attended by residents of both the districts in a large number besides the elders of the two rival families.

The members of the joint jirga including ANP provincial leader Sheikh Janzada, Maulana Saifur Rahman Haqani and Malang Jan addressed the ceremony and thanked the elders of both the families for agreeing to resolve the dispute through their consultations.

They said that it was a challenging task for them to settle the dispute through jirga as it was a complicated issue.

However, they said, their commitment and cooperation of elders of both the families helped them in amicable settlement of the more than 70-year-old dispute.

The elders of both the families on the occasion hugged each other. They forgave each other and pledged to live peacefully like friends in future.

They also showed their regret over lingering on the dispute for such a long time. They also lauded the members of the jirga for taking keen interest to settle their dispute peacefully.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2022