By Israr Ahmad Orakzai
ORAKZAI: A grand jirga was convened in the tribal district of Orakzai on Friday, bringing together officials and tribal elders in an effort to address long-standing administrative and development issues while reinforcing efforts aimed at sustainable peace in the region.
The meeting was chaired by MPA Aurangzeb Khan Orakzai, who also heads the District Development Advisory Committee, alongside Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Irfanuddin. District Police Officer Shaukat Ali and representatives of various tribal groups were also in attendance, reflecting a broad-based attempt to align state administration with local tribal structures.
Speaking at the jirga, Aurangzeb Khan Orakzai said that future decisions regarding development and governance in the district would be taken through consultation with local communities. He emphasized that tribal elders would play a central role in shaping development priorities, adding that planning would now be guided by a dedicated committee of elders to ensure that local needs were more effectively addressed.
Deputy Commissioner Irfanuddin told the gathering that, on the instructions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary, all tehsil-level offices in the upper subdivision would be shifted to the Ghiljo headquarters within a month. He said temporary facilities had already been arranged to support the relocation, which he described as a step aimed at improving access to public services.
He also announced that recruitment against vacant teaching posts in district schools would begin shortly, with preference to be given to local candidates. The move, he said, was intended to address both unemployment among local youth and staffing shortages in the education sector.
