Loya Jirga

A loya jirga (Pashto: لويه جرګه‎) is a type of jirga regarded as "grand assembly," a phrase in the Pashto language meaning "grand council." A loya jirga is a mass meeting usually prepared for major events such as choosing a new king, adopting a constitution, or discussing important national political or emergency matters. It is also used for resolving disputes in Afghanistan, but also in the Pashtun areas of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA in Pakistan. In Afghanistan, the loya jirga was originally attended by the Pashtuns, but later included other ethnic groups. It is a forum unique among the Pashtun tribes in which, traditionally, tribal elders meet together.