PESHAWAR- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed an 18-member high-level committee to examine the restoration of the Jirga System as a viable alternative dispute resolution mechanism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The committee has been directed to hold consultations with all relevant stakeholders and submit recommendations within a month.
Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Engineer Amir Muqam will serve as convener, while Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar will act as deputy convener. Other key members include Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister or his nominee, and the provincial governor or his representative.
According to the official notification, the primary objective of the committee is to evaluate the constitutional and legal dimensions of reviving the Jirga System and to develop a framework that strengthens civil administration and public trust in dispute resolution. The members will also explore ways to empower local governance structures without compromising the Constitution.
Prominent bureaucrats and experts appointed to the committee include former KP Chief Secretary Shakeel Durrani, former KP Inspector General Salahuddin Mehsud, SIFC Secretary Dr Muhammad Baig, and secretaries from various federal divisions, including Planning, Economic Affairs, Interior, and Overseas Pakistanis. Representatives from the General Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence are also part of the committee.
The Jirga System, once a deeply rooted traditional form of conflict resolution in tribal and rural Pakistan, has lost ground due to formal judicial processes and evolving security dynamics. The current move signals a potential policy shift aimed at decentralising justice and reducing judicial burdens through culturally familiar mechanisms—if aligned with constitutional principles.
The committee’s findings could shape how Pakistan reintroduces indigenous governance tools within the country’s broader legal framework.
