Jirga calls for curbing social ills in Landikotal

LANDIKOTAL: The people from different walks of life, including journalists, local government representatives and religious scholars, held a jirga on Sunday to stop un-Islamic and illegal practices here.

Representatives of the local government, Tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Murad Hussain, Mirajuddin Shinwari, Landikotal Falahi Tanzeem chairman Akhtar Ali Shinwari, Manzoor Ali Shinwari, Qari Syed Hakim Shinwari, Sher Afridi, Saeed Shinwari, journalist Khalil Jabran Afridi, social activist Kalimullah Shinwari, Christian community member Arshad Masih and others attended the jirga.

Speaking on the occasion, they said illegal and un-Islamic practices including playing cards, dances, she-male dance parties, aerial firing and use of drugs were increasing day by day.

They said it was their social and Islamic obligation to launch a campaign against all social evils to motivate the youth towards healthy activities.

The jirga called for efforts to check anti-social elements.

Tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid said they should focus on stopping aerial firing during wedding ceremonies and checking the use of ice drug by youth.

He said dances performed by members of the transgender community at marriages destroyed the Pashtun culture and it was against the Islamic values.

Journalist Khalil Jabran suggested that they could arrange poetry sessions and debate competitions at wedding parties to promote healthy activities.

Mirajuddin Shinwari and others said that they should use social media platforms to counter the spread of such practices and to motivate youth towards sports.

Akhtar Ali Shinwari said they should cooperate with the civil administration and law-enforcement agencies to curb anti-social elements.

The jirga said Islam and Pashtun culture taught them to celebrate Islamic and cultural events within the social and Islamic norms.

All the participants pledged to work together against all unlawful practices in Landikotal and arrange awareness campaigns.

At the end of the jirga, a committee was constituted to chalk out a strategy to counter social evils.