SWABI: The revival of jirga and hujra systems in accordance with the modern-day needs is important for preserving the Pakhtun culture in a world dominated by social media and technology.

This was stated by elders and experts during a meeting held here on Tuesday.

The speakers said if the Pakhtun society failed to revive the jirga mechanism they would confront numerous problems. They noted that once the youngsters broke free of culture then their return to Pakhtun life set-up was difficult.

The speakers admitted that the hujra culture was under threat, but no one really cared for its revival.

On the occasion, Prof Noorul Amin Yousafzai, who has written a dozen books in Pashto language, said: “We are more in need of hujra now than in the past. We have reluctantly joined the global village but the situation has made us crippled in every sphere of life.”

“If we really want to protect our civilization and culture, then we have to revive hujra,” he declared.

Further elaborating, he said: “In my opinion it is very important to develop the hujra on modern lines; there should be a community hall in hujra and if possible some shops should be built there so that its expenses can be easily met.”

Mr Yousafzai said individualism and materialism were two big enemies of hujra. “The provincial government, the culture tourism ministry, members of the jirgas, the district administration, leaders of political parties and all other stakeholders should join hands to revive the hujra culture and put it on modern lines.”

Khair Mohammad Kaka, who represents a jirga, said it was not an easy task to revive hujra culture because youth were not ready to give any head to the advice of elders.

Jehan Bahadar, a member of Maneri Bala jirga, said cultural values could not be protected without reviving hujra culture. “Hujra is university of Pakhtuns where they learn numerous things,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2025