Islamabad revives tribal jirgas to resolve disputes (and relations with Kabul)

The Pakistani government has decided to strengthen alternative justice mechanisms in the tribal province on the border with Afghanistan, promoting the traditional jirga system and integrating it into the national legal framework. In the past, relations with the provincial administration had been tense after the latter tried to independently involve the Afghan Taliban in security talks. Meanwhile, attacks continue in the region.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) – The Pakistani government has decided to focus on tradition to strengthen justice and security in tribal areas. At a meeting yesterday, federal and provincial officials agreed on the need to revive the jirga system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, on the border with Afghanistan, to resolve disputes in an alternative manner.

The meeting, chaired by the Minister for Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Minister for Frontier States and Regions, Amir Muqam, was the first meeting of the 18-member committee created by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the request of tribal elders. The aim is to create an alternative system of justice, rooted in local culture but aligned with the national constitutional and legal framework.

Minister Muqam stressed that tribal elders and legal experts will be involved in the consultation process to ensure that decisions reflect the real needs of local communities. The jirga, the minister explained, will be integrated into the state legal system so that it operates within the confines of the law. It was also decided to establish a subcommittee and hold the next meeting in Peshawar.

Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that the ultimate goal is to reduce dependence on the police, adding that ‘the KP government is a key player in this process and we are determined to move forward together.’

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed appreciation for the government's efforts to find solutions for the tribal areas.

However, cooperation between the federal and provincial governments has not always been smooth. A few months ago, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur revived a proposal to send a jirga of tribal leaders to Afghanistan for direct talks with the Taliban regime. The initiative (first discussed in September 2024) was harshly criticised by Prime Minister Sharif, who called it a ‘direct attack’ on the central government.

There is a widespread belief that the KP government cannot act independently without the tacit consent of Pakistan's influential military apparatus. Provincial government spokesman Barrister Saif had given assurances that the process would be ‘aligned with security and foreign policy’ and that Islamabad would be kept informed of any progress with the Taliban government.

The situation is exacerbated by the growing number of terrorist attacks in the region by the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP): just three days ago, 13 soldiers were killed in an attack, while 16 others were wounded. Despite a general decline in violence in June, a report by the United Nations Security Council highlights that between July and December last year, the Pakistani Taliban carried out 600 attacks, often with the support of the population and funding from Kabul.