Taliban enforce sharia in parts of Orakzai

By Saboor Khan

HANGU: Local Taliban announced to impose sharia and to ban cutting forest trees in several areas of Upper Orakzai Agency on Sunday, local sources said.

The sources said the announcements were made in sermons from mosques in Khangarpur, Ghundako, Kundi Mushti and Qaum Aakhel areas of Orakzai Agency, adding the local Taliban had also banned the cutting of forest trees in the agency.

The announcements directed the residents of the tribal region to contact local Taliban centres in Ghalju and Kundi Mushti to seek solutions to their disputes, adding all disputes would be decided in accordance with sharia.

The political authorities of Orakzai Agency could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.

The sources said sharia had also been imposed in Ghalju, Ghundki, Nawakali Khangarpura, Amir Zai Kalay, Sultan Masay, Moorcha Ghari and Sahibzadagano Kalay areas.

During the past year, the drive for sharia law implementation surged in Federally Administered Tribal Area and several settled areas of NWFP. While there have been several reports of Taliban setting up sharia or Qazi courts in Swat and Mohmand, Bajaur and Orakzai agencies, the NWFP government was also compelled by the locals in Malakand to pass a bill to establish such courts there in October.

The sources say tribesmen are turning to such forums because they are frustrated with the colonial system of Frontier Crimes Regulations, under which cases are still pending after decades of deliberations. (Daily Times, 22 Dec 2008)

Tribal sharia and modern state

Local Taliban have announced the imposition of sharia in several areas of Upper Orakzai Agency. During the past year, the drive for sharia law implementation surged in the Tribal Areas and several settled areas of NWFP, with “informal” qazi courts coming up in Swat, Mohmand, Bajaur and Orakzai agencies. The NWFP government was also compelled by the locals in Malakand to pass a bill to establish such courts there in October this year. The reason given is “frustration with the colonial system of Frontier Crimes Regulations, under which cases are still pending after decades of deliberations”.

Clearly, the people want quick justice. But when they get rough and ready punishments for not keeping beards and for playing music they don’t like it either. That is where the difference in the thinking of the people and the “non-state actors” becomes clear. The modern state doesn’t legislate about piety because there is no way of measuring it, but it legislates against crime more effectively. A good man is the one who doesn’t commit crime. If he is pious that has nothing to do with the state. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan failed because it spent all its energies on enforcing pieties. (Daily Times, 23 Dec 2008)

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