August 28, 2007	Tuesday	Sha’aban 14, 1428

LARKANA, Aug 27: The civil judge of Ubauro on Monday remanded in police custody for two days Ms Arbab Khatoon Chachar and Akbar Shar whose reported court marriage triggered a series of tit-for-tat revenge hostage taking by their tribes.

Police brought the couple to court in an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and deployed large number of policemen in and around the court premises to avert any untoward incident.

Chief of Chachars, Abdul Rehman Chachar, told journalists that they would accept the court verdict but added in the same breath that they reserved the right to settle score with Shars in women’s abduction case.

The revenge hostage taking started with the reported court marriage of Ms Arbab Khatoon Chachar with Akbar Shar. Armed Chahchars took eight persons of the rival clan hostage on Saturday triggering a war of tit-for-tat hostage taking with Shars kidnapping their seven persons the same day. The number rose to 20 by the night on Saturday.

The hostages were later freed by the two tribes after the intervention of DCO.