FATA merger: Jirgas to be retained in tribal districts

ISLAMABAD: A government panel reviewing reforms in the newly merged tribal areas has decided to retain the traditional system of jirgas rather than to replace it altogether with magistrates and courts.

This has been decided in a recent meeting of a task force for the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata) headed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Shah Farman.

The panel was discussing bottlenecks pertaining to the merger of the tribal areas with K-P, the future of expanding courts, police, jails and other government departments to Fata.

Having decided to retain the jirgas, the committee will now chart a course of action which would include it within the judicial system visible across the rest of the country.

Farman advised members of the task force to expedite efforts to remove obstacles in Fata’s merger with K-P.

Fata additional chief secretary briefed the meeting over the progress made in Fata reforms and the decisions taken by the apex committee.

He said the talks are being held to allocate three per cent of the divisible pool for Fata.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2018.