A “jirga,” or tribal assembly, is an ancient institution among the Pashtun communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A jirga is a forum to resolve disputes and a platform for generating consensus and finding solutions to problems. RFE/RL Correspondent Majeed Babar photographed many tribal jirgas near the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar before the onset of the Taliban insurgency a decade ago.
Pashtun Jirga
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There is a lot to ponder during a jirga
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Minorities participate as equal community members seeking justice from jirgas. Here the Sikhs of Bara demand security from the Afridi clans who have protected them for centuries.
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An Afridi tribal leader delivering his verdict after extensive deliberations.
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A rural jirga near the Khyber Pass.