The council serves as a community forum that helps resolve local disputes through mediation.
Razia Mehsud becomes the first woman to be a member of the Dispute Resolution Council in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. PHOTO: EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
In a historic step for women’s representation in tribal districts, social activist Razia Mehsud has become the first woman appointed to the Dispute Resolution Council (DRC) in Upper South Waziristan, a move widely welcomed as a major milestone for an inclusive community.
According to an official notification issued by Dera Regional Police Officer (RPO) Ismail Khan on Monday, the 17-member DRC was constituted on the recommendation of South Waziristan Higher District Police Officer (DPO) Arshad Khan.
For the first time since the creation of the council in the district, a woman was included among its members.
The DRC, established by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Police, serves as a community forum that helps resolve local disputes through mediation, reducing the burden on the courts while promoting accessible and peaceful conflict resolution.
Razia is expected to play a key role in addressing women’s grievances, family disputes and broader community issues. Local tribal elders, social activists and community representatives believe her appointment will improve women’s access to justice, particularly in cases where cultural barriers have traditionally deterred women from approaching male-dominated forums.
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Observers say the inclusion of a woman on the council is likely to foster greater trust among complainants, strengthen women’s participation in local decision-making, and pave the way for broader gender inclusion in traditional conflict resolution mechanisms across tribal districts.
The appointment has been widely praised by social and tribal circles, who described it as a historic event not only for Upper South Waziristan but for the entire Waziristan region, where women have historically had limited representation in formal and informal governance structures.
KP Inspector General of Police Dr Zulfiqar Hameed earlier said that thousands of local and regional disputes across the province have been successfully resolved through the DRC system. He described the expansion of DRCs into merged tribal districts as an effective model to ensure swift, community-based justice and strengthen public confidence in policing.
