A bill against illegal jirgas and a parallel system of justice was tabled in the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday, it was reported.
Tabled by assembly member (MPA) Najam Mirza, the bill, titled, ‘The Sindh Prohibition of Unlawful Jirgas and Parallel Justice Bill, 2026’ declares all such decisions given by jirgas, panchayats or any other parallel body, inciting people to murder, violence and mob attacks, crimes.
The bill says that acts like burning of villages, giving collective punishments to entire communities, social boycott, forcible evictions, depriving people of basic facilities, forced marriages and divorce, punishment for love marriages are all prohibited and crimes.
The bill recommends action against those blocking victim’s access to police or courts, pressurizing for withdrawing the FIR and intimidating witnesses.
It reads that every citizen would be provided protection regardless of his or her religion, caste, tribe and sex.
Speaking on the occasion, MPA Mirza said that in the presence of courts, no jirga, panchayat or any other group could be allowed to decide cases related to people’s lives, properties and honour.
He was of the view that legislation to ensure supremacy of law, enforce writ of the state in Sindh was need of the hour.
