Ban Should Be Imposed on the Words “Sardar” and “Nawab”; Not Against the Tribal System, but Private Jails, Illegal Detentions and Coerced Decisions Must End: Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman

QUETTA (Daily Qudrat): Member of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, addressing the Assembly session, has demanded that the law passed in 1976 regarding the abolition of the Sardari system be implemented in its true spirit and that a ban be imposed on the use of the titles “Sardar” and “Nawab” at official and public levels.

Expressing his views in the House, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman made clear that he is not against the tribal system, because tribes are also mentioned in the Holy Quran and the tribal system is our identity; however, he is against the exploitation continuing in the name of the Sardari system.

He said that under the relevant act the Sardari system has been completely abolished, according to which no Sardar or Nawab is above the law, nor do they have any authority to set up parallel courts, establish private jails, make illegal arrests or occupy tribal lands.

Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman alleged that every child in Balochistan knows which Sardars have private jails. He said that more than 40 Sardars of Sarawan and Jhalawan could not save Asma Jattak’s father from being killed, while even today if an ordinary young man stands in an election he is killed, and innocent girls are forced to marry Sardars’ gunmen. He further said that even touching someone’s feet is not a proper act.

In his address, the MPA, referring to an alleged decision of Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, said that a fine of Rs30 million was imposed for building a school, and even in today’s era fines of millions of rupees are being imposed in the name of schools. He said that Sardars and Nawabs live on the patronage and signals of the government, therefore the government of the time should strictly enforce the 1976 law.