Pashtun Jirga

Deliberations are a part of the jirga. Here, two clan leaders from the Afridi tribe debate the deployment of the Pakistani army to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in late 2001.

Jirga participants typically sit in circles to denote equality among the participants. Tribal assemblies guard egalitarianism among tribes where members, all of whom are male, are considered equal.

Facial expressions often give away the emotions of the participants during a jirga.

Parties to a conflict often make heated arguments while making their case before the jirga. Here, the residents of the town of Bara in the Khyber tribal district debate the fate of minority Sikhs threatened by a fanatical cleric in 2002.

There is a lot to ponder during a jirga

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.

An Afridi tribal leader delivering his verdict after extensive deliberations.

A rural jirga near the Khyber Pass.

Despite its participants being armed to the teeth, jirgas are held peacefully and aim to resolve complicated disputes through deliberations.

An Afridi tribal leader in the Khyber Pass.