No education, no medicine — no vote
Local jirga decides to boycott elections if school, basic health unit not provided.
DI KHAN:
Fed up of the litany of promises made by candidates before an election, an assembly of tribal elders in a village of South Waziristan Agency has decided not to cast their ballots until the government provides a school and a basic health unit in the area.
The jirga representing 60 families also demanded a road leading to their village and dikes for protecting their farmlands from floods.
The jirga of the elders of the Madi Khel, Zarmal Khel and Dothani, the sub-clans of the Ahmadzai tribes living in the Karazai Pall village, about 15 km west of Wana’s main town of Rustam Bazaar, noted that their grievances had been ignored for far too long.
The jirga said that time and again, they approached the political administration and federal lawmaker Maulana Abdul Malik from NA-41 constituency in South Waziristan, but both overlooked their grievances. Therefore, there was no option except to boycott the general election. .
Malik Abdu Rehim, chief of the Tojai Khel tribe, who also resides in the Karazia Pall village told The Express Tribune “about 500 acres of apple orchards were damaged due to floods and the local tribes’ main sources of income vanished, but the government was paying scant attention to plans for building dikes and protecting our fertile land. This and other deprivation forced us to boycott the upcoming general election,” he added.
The jirga also decided that a Rs50,000 fine would be imposed on any person from the three tribes of Karazai Pall who casts their vote in favour of any candidate.
Notables of the jirga included Malik Sarwar Khan, Malik Abdul Rahim, Malik Lochi Khan, Mulvi Muneer Shaker, Rahpa Khan and Sheikh Zahid.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2012.
Fed up of the litany of promises made by candidates before an election, an assembly of tribal elders in a village of South Waziristan Agency has decided not to cast their ballots until the government provides a school and a basic health unit in the area.
The jirga representing 60 families also demanded a road leading to their village and dikes for protecting their farmlands from floods.
The jirga of the elders of the Madi Khel, Zarmal Khel and Dothani, the sub-clans of the Ahmadzai tribes living in the Karazai Pall village, about 15 km west of Wana’s main town of Rustam Bazaar, noted that their grievances had been ignored for far too long.
The jirga said that time and again, they approached the political administration and federal lawmaker Maulana Abdul Malik from NA-41 constituency in South Waziristan, but both overlooked their grievances. Therefore, there was no option except to boycott the general election. .
Malik Abdu Rehim, chief of the Tojai Khel tribe, who also resides in the Karazia Pall village told The Express Tribune “about 500 acres of apple orchards were damaged due to floods and the local tribes’ main sources of income vanished, but the government was paying scant attention to plans for building dikes and protecting our fertile land. This and other deprivation forced us to boycott the upcoming general election,” he added.
The jirga also decided that a Rs50,000 fine would be imposed on any person from the three tribes of Karazai Pall who casts their vote in favour of any candidate.
Notables of the jirga included Malik Sarwar Khan, Malik Abdul Rahim, Malik Lochi Khan, Mulvi Muneer Shaker, Rahpa Khan and Sheikh Zahid.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2012.