SHANGLA: A jirga on Thursday resolved a dispute between police and lawyers in the district headquarters Alpuri.

The jirga was led by deputy commissioner Mohammad Fawad Khan and Alpuri tehsil council chairman Waqar Ahmad Khan, with participants of the meeting including members of Alpuri tehsil council, local elders, additional deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner, DPO Shah Hassan and over 80 members of Shangla district bar association.

The conflict between lawyers and police surfaced following a scuffle between a traffic police sergeant and two lawyers.

The lawyers went to the police station and attempted to resolve the issue before the registration of FIR. However, as a video of the incident went viral on social media causing public outrage, the police registered an FIR against three lawyers. Lawyers staged a protest in Alpuri Chowk against police amid slogans against police and social media accounts.

The district bar association had also filed a case under Section 22A against the police at court and the jirga failed in its first attempt they made to settle the clash.

Tehsil council chairman Waqar Ahmad Khan said that the issue between police and lawyers had been resolved and both parties forgave each other.

He said that both groups would withdraw cases lodged against each other and would remain peaceful.

Shangla bar association president Waqif Shah said that the lawyers had agreed to step back and remain peaceful.

“We will withdraw the case from the court and cancel the protest rally planned for today (Thursday) as the DPO assured us of cooperation,” he said.

Mr Shah, however, said that legal action against “fake” human right activists who tried to assassinate their character would continue.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2025