GHAZNI CITY (SW): Civil society activists and provincial council members of Ghazni have said the tribal council meetings (jirgas) infringe the Constitution and other laws of the country.
These people have showed concerns over the lack of trust and rampant corruption in the judicial system of the country which have resulted in people bringing their cases to the tribal councils for justice.
Ghulam Sakhi Zabuli, a member of provincial council, told Salam Watandar that the formal judicial system of the country is cumbersome, corrupt and complicated for the people which have forced people to rely on tribal councils and the Taliban for swift judgment for their cases. “The judgments passed by the tribal councils are based on traditions and culture not on the bases formal legal system of the country. More than 50 per cent of the residents of Ghazni rely on tribal council”, informed Zabuli.
Hussein Rahimi, a civil society activist, said civil and criminal cases are judged by the tribal councils where justice is not served.
Mohammad Nasir Bayan, legal expert in the province, said the informal dispute resolution system stems from the heritage and culture of the people, but the government has a reliable formal legal system where people should take their cases.
Zain-ul-Arab Miri, a women’s activist in Ghazni, also said that those who preside in the tribal council jirgas do not have any knowledge of the Elimination of Violence against Women Law at all and the cases against women are judged with anti-women sentiments.
Niyaz Mohammad Nikpa, provincial justice director, welcomed and confirmed the tribal council activities and said the tribal councils have solved many cases in the province while preventing people from seeking justice from the Taliban.
Meanwhile, some members and elders of the tribal councils on conditions of anonymity admitted that laws of the country are not applied in the councils and power, money and bias play major role in the outcome of a tribal council judgment.
Out of 18 districts of Ghazni only 5 districts have active provincial attorney general’s office and courts.
ENDS