Bajaur Jirga resolves 33-year-old dispute between rival groups

BAJAUR: A jirga of tribal elders Friday resolved 33 years old dispute between two tribes in Salarzai tehsil as the leaders from both the groups promised under oath to live like brothers and friends in future and avoiding more bloodshed.

The settlement came at a special ceremony held in the border locality of Saroo Kalely in Salarzai region where local elders, chieftains, members of peace committees, administration and Bajaur levies force officials and political activists were in attendance.

The enmity between two rival groups led by Malik Muhammad Arif and Malik Haji Zareen respectively continued for the last 33 years and it had so for claimed lives of a number of people from both sides and wounded several others.

The leaders of the rival tribes finally agreed for reconciliation following the jirga members holding several meetings with them. The elders of both the groups on the occasion forgave each other and promised under oath that in future they would live like brothers and friends. The leaders of rival groups also vowed that they would work for promotion of peace and stability in the area.

They admitted the demerits of personal disputes and said that clash had not only affected their lives badly but also disturbing socio economic condition of the region as well. We did not expect that disagreement over a piece of land would lead us in such chronic stage therefore we request the people to show tolerance and patience with each other s whenever facing differences, they added.

Speaking at the ceremony Political Tehsildar Salarzai Saz Muhammad and Chief of Bajaur levies force Major Rahmat Gul stressed the need of joint efforts to reconcile all kind of local disputes in the area as such clashes were affecting peace and development in the region. The officials urged the tribesmen to resolve their difference through peaceful means as use of force was not the solution to any conflict. They asked the tribal elders to continue their efforts to settle disputes among the people in the region through jirga system as it was the easiest and speediest way to find out durable solution of any dispute in the area.

The members of the grand jirga and notables of area who spoke at ceremony included Nizamuddin Khan, elder son of Shahabuddin Khan PML-N MNA from Bajaur Agency, Malik Abdur Rauf Khan, Malik Fachai Gul, Malik Hifzur Rahman Khan and Haji Ziarat Gul.

The elders said that settlement of the dispute betweenthe two tribes which according to them was one of the long standing and complicated conflict in the area was good news for both the families and people of the area as well. They said that settlement of the dispute was also a great honor for them as they had been engaged with the issue for the past several years.