Cultural Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Hazara Community of Pakistan: Trauma, Identity and Informal Justice

This paper aims to explore alternative dispute resolution mechanisms grounded in culture and tribalism in the Hazara community of Pakistan, a historically suppressed Shia minority who are subjected to sporadic waves of targeted violence. Drawing on an insider perspective, historical background, and the evolving nature of the youth, this commentary examines how cultural practices such as the Qaumi Jarga strive to provide speedy and cost-effective justice to the minority in the underlying suppression. It puts the community within the broader spectrum of legal pluralism and peacebuilding that highlights the tensions between the community and state representatives. Ultimately, the commentary focuses on a justice model that is rooted in indigenous values and that ensures protection under international human rights frameworks and norms.