Pakistani reconciliation panels solve disputes
Jul 01, 2010
from the article by Iqbal Khattak for CentralAsiaOnline.com:
The wheels of justice often move slowly and expensively in Pakistan, causing public disgust that reputedly strengthens the militancy.
Now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is addressing this problem through a Musalihatee, or reconciliatory committee, to restore public confidence and isolate the Taliban.
This dispute resolution method takes pressure off police, freeing them to tackle the militancy more efficiently, observers and police officials told Central Asia Online.
....The restorative justice system appeared in the United States in 1970 and spread across the globe. Its need here became felt when the fight against the militancy pressured the police and courts.
Police stations were flooded with petty cases while bombs were going off outside. A lack of judges and court facilities meant disputes took years to settle. That caused problems for the poor in particular, and the Taliban exploited the situation by presenting an alternative system of quicker and cheaper justice.
The ploy worked initially, as Pakistanis said, “The Taliban are offering quicker and cheaper justice than the state does.” That perception among the public set off alarm bells for the government.
“We first introduced the restorative justice system in the Hazara region in 2008 on an experimental basis, and when we got good results, this system was slowly and gradually extended to some other districts of Pakhtunkhwa province”, Tanoli told Central Asia Online.
The Musalihatee committee network extends to Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar, where, according to police officials, “encouraging results” Are coming in. The government eyes expansion of the system to all other districts of the province; however, logistical problems are causing some delays.
