Mohmand Agency: Jirga agrees on NA nominee

Goes against democratic norms, some argue.

SHABQADAR: In their usual time honoured tradition, tribal elders in Mohmand Agency have decided to nominate a unanimous candidate for a seat in the national assembly. But representatives of local parties have said that this goes against the spirit of democratic traditions.

The elders took the decision in a grand jirga of the Tarakzai tribe held at Ekka Ghund on Sunday in which the sub tribes Dado Khel, Qasam Khel, Burhan Khel and Tamanzai participated.

But the Pakistan Peoples Party General Secretary for FATA, Jangrez Khan and the Awami National Party Mohmand Agency president, Nisar Khan opposed the decision. “We cannot just decide on one candidate, we have to support all applying for the seat regardless of which tribe they are from,” Jangrez Khan said.

He informed that after the extension of the Political Parties’ Act by the federal government, they are not given information on who will be given tickets for contesting the next elections from their agency.

In the jirga, participants demanded that the political administration abstain from imposing fines on the Khasadars for crimes that occur in the agency.

The participants also reiterated their stance of merging the 25 disputed villages of Charsadda district into their agency. “Those areas were a part of our agency and they were separated from us in 1998 without our consent,” they added. Jirga members vowed to continue their struggle.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2012.