PESHAWAR:
The stage is set to introduce Alternative Dispute Resolution System (ADRS) in the newly merged tribal districts of Khyber-Pakthunkhwa by the provincial government.
Under this the traditional Jirga system will get a legal cover and status. A draft for it has already been finalised which will soon be approved by the cabinet.
Addressing a press conference here Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information and Higher Education Kamran Bangash said that ADR system will be very useful in the former Fata and it will help solve disputes effectively.
He was accompanied by Minister for Rehabilitation Iqbal Wazir and Special Assistant on Excise and Taxation Ghazan Jamal during the press conference.
“We are faced with some challenges after the merger of tribal districts and one of them is solving land disputes among the clans to their satisfaction so the new ADRs will be very helpful in this regard. All land disputes will be solved as per the local traditions,” he informed reporters, saying that Jirga members will be decided with mutual consent by the parties to the dispute.
“If a dispute is solved then both the parties will pay the Jirga members. This will decrease the burden of courts and will hopefully solve the problem in a timely manner,” he said.
Solving land disputes peacefully was a real challenge and the legal Jirga system is the way forward, he said.
It is worth mentioning here that land disputes are a frequent occurrence across most of the former Fata from North Waziristan to South Waziristan to Kurram.
Recently armed clashes were reported between two clans in North Waziristan and earlier similar skirmishes took place in South Waziristan. Around 45 people were killed over land disputes in Kurram last year despite the fact that Kurram is largely terrorism-free now.
Locals often blame the administration for lack of interest to solve these disputes or even disarm the local tribes who use medium and heavy arms in these clashes openly.
In North Waziristan a 300-strong Jirga was formed by the locals to stop fighting between the two clans who claim the ownership of Karkana area.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 12th, 2021.
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