PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) central spokesman Engineer Ihsanullah strongly denounced the federal government’s decision to restore the Jirga system, calling it an unconstitutional and regressive step that undermines provincial autonomy, justice, and democracy.
The party central spokesman Engineer Ihsanullah in a statement here on Monday stated that the decision was a direct attack on provincial autonomy and an attempt to impose a tribal system on the entire province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He argued that the 25th Constitutional Amendment, which merged FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was a historic step towards integration and however, restoring the Jirga system undermined this integration.
The ANP spokesman highlighted that the judiciary and judicial system were provincial subjects under the 18th Amendment. The federal government's move to impose Jirgas on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was seen as a violation of these powers.
The party's leader pointed out that Jirgas had historically been used to deny justice to women, children, and minorities, and to impose informal punishments, which was against the principles of justice and equality enshrined in the Constitution.
He reminded that the Supreme Court had already declared Jirgas and their punishments illegal in a 2020 judgment. The party demanded that the federal government respect this ruling.
ANP demanded immediate dissolution of the committee formed to oversee the restoration of the Jirga system.
The party insisted that any reforms or changes in the judicial system should be done in consultation with the Provincial Assembly.
ANP suggested modernizing district courts to provide timely justice to rural areas and establishing special judicial benches for women and minorities.
ANP viewed the restoration of the Jirga system as a regressive step that would push Khyber Pakhtunkhwa back into a dark age.
The party vowed to oppose this decision in every forum and reaffirmed its commitment to building a modern, just, and constitutional province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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