SUKKUR: A man, Ghulam Rasool Katohar, along with four children aged between three and eight years appeared in front of the Jacobabad press club on Tuesday to offer all of them against Rs1.6 million, claiming that he was under immense pressure from his rivals to pay the amount as fine imposed by a Jirga (tribal court) held on Sunday.

Mr Katohar told the media that a family belonging to the Khoso tribe of Jacobabad had accused his son, Ghulam Shabbir Katohar, of having an extramarital affair with a woman belonging to that tribe about two years ago.

He said the aggrieved family eventually took the matter to the Jirga on Sunday which held its proceedings in Liaquatabad village. It was chaired by the Khoso chieftain in Jacobabad Mohabbat Khoso, he said.

Mr Katohar, a resident of Abdul Karim Katohar village located near Jacobabad, said that the Jirga found his son guilty and imposed a fine of Rs1.6 million to be paid to the rival side to settle the dispute.

He said although the fine money was supposed to be paid by his Katohar tribe collectively, the amount was usually paid in three instalments by the family of the guilty. He said he was not in a position to afford the burden and had to sell out his two daughters, Fauzia, 8, and Shahida 6, and two granddaughters, Rabia, 4, and Zahida, 3, to raise the fine amount and save his family from violent vengeance probably murder of his son by the rival side permissible under the tribal norms.

Senior officials in the district police, when contacted for their comment, said that they were aware of the Jirga ruling and Mr Katohar’s woes but it was necessary to investigate the matter before taking action against all those responsible for issuing such non-judicial rulings and threatening the life and property of citizens.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2015

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