PESHAWAR: A blood feud between two influential Afridi families, which has taken lives of senior lawyer Abdul Lateef Afridi and an anti-terrorism court judge, Aftab Afridi, has been resolved with the efforts of a jirga.

In this connection a ceremony was held at a hall here on Sunday, which was attended by people in large numbers including lawyers, government officials, politicians and tribal elders.

The jirga headed by some elders of Afridi tribe including Abdul Razig Afridi, Momin Khan Afridi and others had remained engaged in hectic activities for the last couple of months so as to bring peace between the two families.

The jirga announced that both the families had resolved their differences and had entered into a compromise with the commitment that they would maintain brotherly relations in the future.

Rs200m fine to be imposed if any of the families violates the agreement

Members of both the families embraced each other with the resolve not to take any adverse action agains teach other in future.

The ceremony was also attended by former MNAs Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Shah Jee Gul Afridi and Shahabuddin Khan, ex-senator Afrasiab Khattak, mayor Peshawar metropolitan, Haji Zubair Ali, and others.

According to one of the jirga members, both the parties had signed a deed on stamp paper and if any one of them was found involved in aggression against the other party in future, the jirga would impose and recover Rs200 million fine from it.

The speakers said that the centuries old traditional jirga system had succeeded in ending this enmity which had resulted in death of several persons.

They said that on both sides senior persons attached with legal profession were involved as late Abdul Lateef Afridi was a former president of Supreme Court Bar Association and a former MNA, whereas late Aftab Afridi was a judge aof the antiterrorism court posted in Swat at the time of his death.

They said as both the families belonged to Afridi tribe, the elders of the tribe had taken upon themselves to resolve the difference between them to end this feud.

They added that both the families had forgiven each other in accordance with Islamic teachings and centuries old tribal traditions.

Highlighting the importance of traditional jirga system, the speakers said this was linked to the Islamic teachings as both emphasised peace, brotherhood and love between fellow human beings.

They said feuds could not be resolved through bloodshed and these could only be ended with dialogue and forgiveness.

It is pertinent to mention here that ATC judge Aftab Afridi had come under a gun attack near Ambar Interchange on Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway on Apr 4, 2021, when he was travelling in his vehicle with his family.

The judge, his wife, his pregnant daughter-in-law and her three-year-old son were killed in the ambush while his guard and driver were injured.

The Chota Lahor police station had registered the FIR of the attack on the complaint of the slain judge`s son, Abdul Majid Afridi, who named several people and had also charged late Lateef Afridi for abetment in the offence.

A court in Swabi had acquitted the seven accused person including Lateef Afridi in that case in Dec 2022.

Earlier, in 2015, another senior lawyer, Samiullah Afridi, who was a close relative of Aftab Afridi, was killed in Peshawar.

Subsequently, Lateef Afridi was killed on Jan 16 at the barroom on the premises of the Peshawar High Court. The alleged killer, Adnan Samiulllah Afridi, was arrested from the crime scene and was still behind bars.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2023