Elders walk out of awareness session in protest

LANDIKOTAL: The local elders walked out of an awareness session about the functioning of the judicial system at Landikotal Jirga Hall.The awareness session under “Strengthening of Rule of Law Programme” was organised by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council with the sponsorship of USAID to raise awareness among people of tribal districts about the judicial system and its functioning. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate from PK-105 Malikzada Nadeem Afridi told the session that the tribal people were being treated like criminals. The candidate said courts, police stations and jails were being constructed in tribal areas and the traditional jirga system was being wiped out.He said no development work is being witnessed after the merger of tribal districts with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the tribal people were deceived in the name of the merger. Nadeem Afridi said the tribal elders would not listen to anything from the district administration in the prevailing circumstances and they did not accept the merger in its existing form. After his brief speech, the tribal elders and notables joined him to stage a walkout from the Jirga Hall.The speech of the PPP leader enraged Assistant Commissioner Landikotal Muhammad Imran and judicial officers present on the occasion. The assistant commissioner said Nadeem Afridi that he is a candidate and he cannot misuse the occasion to make a political speech. He said the administration would send a letter against him to the Election Commission. The session remained inconclusive due to the walkout of the tribal elders.

from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2RqSLBC