Government Should Not Resort to Resolutions to Hide Its Failures; Judicial System and Security Should Be Improved Before Abolishing the Sardari System: Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani and Sardar Kamal Bangalzai
QUETTA (Daily Qudrat Quetta) – Sardars of Sarawan and respected tribal elders, including Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani and Sardar Kamal Khan Bangalzai, have said that bringing a resolution in the Balochistan Assembly regarding the abolition of the Sardari and Nawabi system is beyond comprehension. The Sardari system is a centuries-old tribal structure through which a role has been played in dispute resolution, reconciliation between parties and the protection of human lives. Instead of abolishing the Sardari system, there is a need to improve security and the judicial system.
They said this while addressing a press conference here on Sunday. Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani said that the Sardari system cannot be abolished; not all Sardars are oppressors, rather tribal elders have saved thousands of people from dying and being killed in feuds. He said that instead of a system, the people who run it may be wrong, therefore the entire system and community cannot be blamed on the basis of one person’s personal mistake.
He said that a Sardar is the head of the tribe and this is not merely a post but a family and tribal system running from generation to generation. Every tribe has its own structure and code, while Sardars play a role in resolving disputes, saving parties from fighting and making decisions with mutual consent. He said that traditional tribal Sardars give importance to the protection of human lives and the honour and respect of others.
Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani said that clerics are respectable and everyone cannot be seen with the same eye; similarly, attributing an individual’s personal likes, dislikes or mistakes to the Sardari system is not right. If this system is flawed, evidence should be presented against it, because a system cannot be declared wrong without evidence.
He said that those sitting in the assemblies also belong to some tribe or the other. Terming efforts to abolish the Sardari system as foolishness, he said that the duty of tribal elders is service to humanity and the record of their decisions also exists. He raised the question whether restrictions would also be imposed on the Balochi and Brahui languages in the future. He said that action should be taken against the person who has taken a wrong step.
Nawab Muhammad Khan Shahwani also raised questions regarding the creation of new divisions and said that justice and local realities should be kept in mind in such steps. He said that those talking about abolishing the tribal system should sit with tribal elders and discuss the matters. According to him, Nawab is a title given by the British, while the tribal system has its own historical and social status. He made clear that the tribal system works not for state authority but for service to humanity and the resolution of Balochistan’s problems.
On this occasion, Sardar Kamal Khan Bangalzai said that tribal elders are not worried about the assembly resolution but want to explain the reality of the Sardari system and its procedure. According to him, the Sardari system is the name of a proper code, and it is not a one-sided system but has been formed according to people’s nature and tribal traditions.
He asked that if the aim is to abolish the Sardari system, what will be its alternative? He said that if this system is to be abolished, the judicial system should first be improved. He said that the security situation in Balochistan is before everyone, and it is an important question whether people can travel by road today without fear and danger. The need is to improve security and the system.
Sardar Kamal Khan Bangalzai expressed the hope that this resolution will not be passed in the assembly. He said that the tribes are not against the country and the national flag but are the guardians of the country’s borders.
