Amn Jirga vows to continue fight against usury

SWABI: Members of Amn Jirga, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday vowed to continue struggle for eradicating usury from the district.

They were speaking at a gathering in connection with the chehlum of Jehanzeb Khan, who had committed suicide in February after he could not return the loan with mounting interest.

The provincial jirga members said that they had planned to establish a chapter of the jirga in the district soon to fight usury.

The participants were informed that the Amn Jirga members had managed to curb the interest-based business in Peshawar, Mardan and Charsadda and they had got registered first information report (FIRs) against the influential people involved in the business.

Syed Kamal Shah, the provincial chairman of the Amn Jirga, or peace council, said they would educate the people and those found involved in such business would be dealt with according to the law of the land. “No one is above the law. The government has banned such business and acted against those involved in interest-based business,” he added.

Arshad Manan, general secretary of Amn Jirga, said that free legal support would be provided to the victims. “But the victims will have to identify those who impose their own will on them and extracted money from them,” he went on to add.

Rahimzada, Mardan district head of the Amn Jirga, said they continued efforts with the support of the government. “The struggle has proved very helpful because many people have given up the business,” he added.