Pakistan's Jirga bans women from visiting picnic, tourist spots

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 18, 2022 | Dhupali Das

He claimed that all parties agreed on a complete ban on women visiting tourist spots, with or without husbands...

Digital Desk: The Jirga, Pakistan's tribal council, has prohibited women from visiting public areas for tourism and entertainment, calling it "unethical" and against Islamic values. The all-male jirga (tribal council) of ultra-conservative Salarzai tehsil in the Bajaur tribal area announced on Saturday that if the government did not implement the decision by Sunday, the jirga members would enforce it themselves, according to the Dawn News.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, a prominent member of the ruling coalition, organized the jirga through its local chapter.

Notably, the action was taken shortly after the World Economic Forum listed Pakistan as the second worst nation in the world and region for gender parity in its Global Gender Gap Report.

Aside from scores of elders from various tribes and locations of the Salarzai tehsil, several JUI-F leaders and religious figures from the region attended the gathering, which was held after the JUI-F district leadership expressed worries about "unethical" amusement activities during a press conference on Thursday.

Speaking at the gathering on Saturday, Salarzai region native and JUI-F district chairman Maulana Abdur Rasheed stated that the jirga was supposed to discuss several regional concerns that came up during Eid and find peaceful and amicable solutions to them.

The respondents were informed that, in addition to men, numerous local women had visited various picnic and tourist spots during the Eid holidays in the region to attend musical performances and boat rides, which they claimed was against local customs and traditions "based on Islamic principles."

The speakers added that it was "absolutely unethical and inappropriate" for women to attend the mentioned locations for tourism and entertainment because both Islam and the local customs forbade such activities.

Participants in the meeting voiced concerns and called for tight limitations on mobility for women. JUI-Maulana F's Rasheed later confirmed the restriction on women entering picnic areas as a joint declaration of the jirga.

He claimed that all parties agreed on a complete ban on women visiting tourist spots, with or without husbands.

We seek to boost tourism in our areas as it's essential for the region's socio-economic development. We only object to women visiting these places because it goes against our traditions and norms. He stated that since the jirga prohibited it, such actions could not be allowed in the name of tourism.

He emphasized further that the jirga would impose the ban if the government or district administration failed to do so by Sunday.

Other political parties supported the JUI-F-backed jirga decision, but there was no comment from the district administration, nor was there any indication that it was truly a representation of the tribal council.

Although the party influences the tribal territory, social groups say the announcement lacks legal and constitutional support.