Fifty tribal elders from North and South Waziristan, who had boycotted the Pak-Afghan joint peace jirga held in Kabul last month, have been convinced to participate in a smaller joint jirga. A senior official of the Interior Ministry said that the smaller jirga, consisting of 25 members each from Pakistan and Afghanistan, was likely to meet this month and that the names of the participants were being finalised. The smaller jirga was constituted by the Joint Peace jirga in Kabul to monitor and oversee the implementation of its decisions and recommendations. It is also to expedite the ongoing process of dialogue for peace and reconciliation with the Taliban as well as plan and facilitate the convening of the next Joint Peace jirga. Interior Ministry Additional Secretary Imtiaz Qazi said that the participation of the elders in the meeting of the smaller jirga would help improve law and order in the tribal belts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Imtiaz said that the meeting of the Joint Peace jirga in Kabul was very successful and that the tribal elders had missed that opportunity by boycotting the meeting.