PESHAWAR: A jirga, an assembly of tribal elders hosted by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, has barred women from visiting recreational spots in the northwestern Pakistani district of Bajaur, a JUI-F leader confirmed on Sunday, saying the practice was against "Islamic teachings and tribal values."
The jirga, which had local elders and religious leaders in presence, was held on Saturday in Danqool area of Salarzai, a town in the restive Bajaur tribal district that borders Afghanistan. The attendees were informed that men and women, most of them locals, visited the Raghagan Dam soon after Eid Al-Adha, where they had boat rides and held musical programs.
Haji Said Badshah, a local JUI-F leader and chairman of Khaar tehsil council, said they had convened the jirga to stonewall “immoral activities” that took place at the lone recreational spot, frequented by local people and tourists.
“We’re not against women visiting tourist spots but we’re against men and women miscellaneously being in a single spot,” Badshah told Arab News.
"We were forced to take this decision when we observed unethical activities, such as dancing at the Raghagan Dam tourist spot, which is totally against Islamic teachings and tribal values."
Badshah said they were not against women going to picnic spots and rather demanded the authorities bifurcate these spots for men and women.
Officials of the Bajaur district administration did not respond to phone calls or text messages for comment, while JUI-F leader Maulana Rasheed, who is said to have announced the ban on behalf of the jirga, could not be immediately reached.
Shahabuddin Khan, a tribal elder affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, said the JUI-F had convened the jirga, but most of the participants were unaware of its agenda. It was a well-attended jirga but that did not mean all the participants agreed with what the council had decided, he added.
“No one is against women visiting public parks, tourist or picnic spots,” Khan said. "We want the government to build more and more recreational spots that families, including men and women, could visit to entertain themselves."
Akbar Jan, another JUI-F leader, said the jirga was held to discuss certain issues, including targeted killings of JUI-F leaders in North Waziristan tribal district, and to tackle them through consensus among the elders.
“But yes, the jirga had also to be convened to stop indecent events that took place at the Raghagan Dam during the Eid days, which are in contravention of tribal traditions,” Jan added.
Badshah said they wanted tourism to flourish for the sake of socioeconomic and businesses activities in the district, but would not allow "indecency" in the name of recreation.
He said the issue was being wrongly projected and his party had a principled stance that there should be separate recreational spots for men and women.