Thousands of men, as well as about two dozen women, attended the “Pashtun National Jirga” in Bannu, Pakhtunkhwa, and in their speeches specifically mentioned the problems and called for their solution. Do what women face.
Most of the women who attended the jirga were associated with the Pashtun women’s political, economic, and social movement, the Waqq Tehreek. Sanaa Ijaz, a leader of the ruling movement, told the media, they had told about 70 women but said they did not attend because of problems.
“There would have been hundreds of women even more because we had trained so many people, but most of the members of the ruling movement are professors and writers and have government jobs. The same problems happen again.”
One of the leaders of the movement, Laibi Yousafzai, told the Jirga that she had been working for 16 years on print media and then on social media to convene a grand jirga to resolve the problems of the Pashtuns.
Laiba says the biggest problem for Pashtuns who do not make progress is that their women are left behind in education, social affairs, and politics. Mr. Laibi said he was pleased that women had also attended.
Laiba Yousafzai said women have been the most affected by any wave of terrorism in recent years, as they have not been able to leave their homes or complain.
“Through this Jirga, I demand that once under the conspiracy of the state in the name of culture and sometimes in the name of religion, women will be oppressed and beaten until you are at home or in the grave,” he said. “Whether you are at home or at work, you will tell this story. Then we will stand with you in protest and in revolution.”
Pashtun women and girls attending the jirga with Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai. Pashtun women and girls attending the jirga with Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai
Jamila Gilani, the information secretary of the National Democratic Movement, also addressed the house almost entirely on the role of women in politics, economics, and other aspects of life. Jamila Gilani said on the basis of history that Pashtun women were part of the jirgas, but added that over time, as male hijras were formed, women were excluded from the jirgas. It is said that after the arrival of the British, political agents in the tribal areas formed government jirgas and took over the administration of justice from them. Done:
“The struggle for national liberation and the liberation and prosperity of women will go hand in hand. It is not possible for these nations to be liberated from oppression first and then for women to begin the process of liberation from anarchy.”
Speaking to the Jirga, the daughter of an active member of the Pashtun Salvation Movement and the “Power Movement” said that women should be able to stand on their own two feet economically so that they could take an active part in politics and other aspects of life.
“We need to get our daughters out of illiteracy and this jirga must decide that every Pashtun sitting here will definitely educate his daughter and sister.”
Ray’s daughter speaks to the House.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the host of the Bannu Jirga and leader of the Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party, was asked on March 7 on Mashal Radio’s Twitter account how many women would attend the jirga and if not. ? Mr. Achakzai responded:
“I am not against it in principle. Friends have invited some women to come, but there will definitely be women [in the jirga]. I say through the jirga that the Pashtuns have increased us a lot,” he said. At least give women their sharia rights. ”
A “questionnaire” was drawn up in the jirga, asking for the views of the people on questions related to the problems of the Pashtuns. Sana Ijaz, a member of the ruling party, said the questionnaire was not about women at first and then included questions at the request of their members.
These include “Achieving the basic rights of Pashtuns, women’s participation and role in the political and social struggle, and the demand for Islamic and basic human rights for women.”
The Awami National Party has a large number of women in the party in Pakhtunkhwa province and Balochistan and a large number of girls in the student organization PFF, but the Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party has no girls in the girls’ organization yet and There are only a handful of women in the country who are running for special seats in parliament. Only three or four women from the Pakhtunkhwa party participated in the jirga.
Some people opposed the participation of women in the jirga. In his speech, Afrasiab Khattak, a nationalist politician and a leader of the New Party National Republican Movement, welcomed the participation of women in the Jirga.
Afrasiab Khattak said that in Afghanistan, where the constitution was enacted in 1963 during the reign of former King Zahir Shah, women also took part in the “Loya Jirga” which was formed to draft the constitution. has been:
“No matter how many Loya Jirgas are held in Afghanistan without the participation of women, it is not right to say that it is not in the Pashtun tradition.”
In her address to the Jirga, South Waziristan social activist and journalist Razia Masood emphasized the need for change in the mindset of women in the society rather than other problems of Pashtuns and called on the Jirga members to take practical action in this regard.
Razia Maseed lamented that there were only a handful of women among the thousands of men in the jirga, adding that “it shows how much we [Pashtuns] have deprived our sisters and daughters.” Razia Maseed says:
“We never think of giving our women the light of education and with it, mature thinking and this will happen only when their training is correct and not limited to housework only. She should be given such thinking. “It simply doesn’t matter how bad the situation is.”
Sana Ejaz not only expressed happiness over the participation of women in the jirga but also called it necessary. Sana says that woman is half of the existence of a nation and if a woman does not participate in the affairs and struggles of life then the half existence of this nation will not work:
Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and left hand with his daughter Crown Prince alias sister Bibi
Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and left hand with his daughter Crown Prince alias sister Bibi
“If Khan Shaheed [Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai] takes his daughter Crown Prince Bibi with him during his political tenure and Baacha Khan sends his daughter Mehrtaj Bibi to school in the 7th year, then why do Pashtuns now take their sisters and mothers with them?” “Not involved in the political struggle.”
Sana Ejaz, in a 10-minute video message sent to the London Jirga, said that the Pakistani media, “curriculum, politicians, security agencies are stereotyping” ethnic and cultural insults of Pashtuns and that they were spreading the word to the world. Presents as terrorists. Such claims have been made by Pashtun activists before, but the Pakistani government and security agencies have not responded.
