The PTM's Court on October 11th

 Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen, the leader of the Pashtoon Tahafuz Movement (PTM), has convened a Pashtoon Jirga for October 11 of this year. He claims that even if the court's points are not yet available, the Jirga would act as a court and make decisions regarding the Pashtoons' future in Pakistan.

Jirga has long been a well-known Pashtoonwali code. An assembly of elders resolves disputes involving land, water, tribe leadership, feuds, and murders, among other things. In his work "ancient history of Afghanistan," renowned Pashtun historian Abdul Hai Habibi traces the history of the Pashtoon people back to 5,000 years. Similar to an ancient nation, the Jirga system dates back approximately a millennium. According to historians, the first Jirga took place in Ghour almost a millennium ago in opposition to Mehmood Ghaznavi's oppressive tactics. The members in that Jirga made the decision to cease taxing Ghaznvids. The second major Jirga occurred when Pashtoon banded together and defeated traitors during the rule of Sher Shah Suri.To overthrow the Iranian Pehlavi regime of Abbas Shah Pehlavi in Kandahar, Mirwais Khan Hotak organised the Jirga in 1709. The Jirga's choices led to the outbreak of an armed conflict, which ultimately resulted in the assassination of Pehlavi Governor Jajeen and his allies.

The history of modern Afghanistan began with the declaration of Ahmed Shah Abdali as the Shah of Afghanistan during a second Jirga in Kandahar in 1747. Amir Habibullah Khan also convened a Jirga in 1924 to decide on the state flag, draft the constitution, and create cordial ties with the surrounding nations. In June 1947, Bannu hosted another significant Jirga, during which Faqir of Api was chosen as the commander of the resistance effort against the British. The Chairman of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Part (PKMAP) in Bannu recently summoned another Jirga for March 2022.

The conditions and demands of Manzoor Pashteen's recalled Jirga remain unclear, despite his repeated statements that during this Jirga, a court will be established and our decisions for the future would be announced. There will be many obstacles in the way of this Jirga's success, including;

1. Since Pashtoon has stayed split up to this point, would Manzoor Pashteen be able to bring them together?

2. Is it possible for non-parliamentary groups like the PTM to persuade parliamentary parties like the ANP, PKMAP, PTI, NDM, JUI, and QWP?

3. Will the Jirga be effective this time?

4. Or will it turn out to raise awareness among the Pashtoon people and take up a significant amount of space in the world media?


 

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