By Ashrafudin Pirzada
PAKISTAN: Different walks of life including journalists, local government representatives and religious leaders held a jirga on Sunday to stop unIslamic and illegal practices during cultural festivals in Landikotal.
The Jirga was held in the Landikotal Tabligh Markaz ground which was also attended by a number of Local Government members, Tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid, Jamat-e-Islami Ameer Murad Hussain, sportsman Mirajuddin Shinwari, Landikotal Falahi Tanzeem chairman Akhtar Ali Shinwari, Manzoor Ali Shinwari, Qari Sayed Hakim Shinwari, Haji Sher Afridi, Abu Darda Shinwari, Saeed Shinwari, journalist Khalil Jabran Afridi, social activist Kalimullah Shinwari, Christian leader Arshad Masih and religious scholars.
Speakers said that illegal and unIslamic practices including playing cards, dances, she-males dance parties, aerial firing and the use of drugs by especially youth were increasing day by day. They said to launch campaigns against all social evils was their social and Islamic obligation to save lives and motivate youth towards healthy activities.
The jirga urged us to join hands to cope with all anti-social elements and bring back those who lost their right path.
Tehsil Chairman Shah Khalid said they should focus on stopping aerial firing during wedding ceremonies and the use of Ice drugs by youth that had taken several innocent lives so far. He said eunuch parties in cultural events and in marriages also destroy their genuine Pashtun and Islamic values. He said their youth were being motivated towards destruction which would engulf the whole society.
Journalist Khalil Jabran suggested that they could arrange poetry sessions and debate competitions like events at wedding parties to promote healthy activities in their cultural days.
Mirajuddin Shinwari and others said that they should use social media against all immoral practices that prevail in society and motivate youth toward sports.
Akhtar Ali Shinwari and Haji Sher said they should cooperate with the civil administration and law enforcement agencies so that they could curb anti-social elements.
The jirga said Islam and Pashtun culture taught them to celebrate their Islamic and cultural events within the social and Islamic norms.
All the participants agreed and pledged to work together against all unlawful practices in Landikotal and arrange awareness campaigns so that they could encourage residents to abide by the law.
At the end of the jirga, a committee was also constituted that would chalk out the next strategy against social evils.
