SHIKARPUR: To settle a decade-old land/blood dispute between the Sabzoi and Sawand tribesmen belonging to the Kandhkot-Kashmore district, a jirga (tribal court) fixed the fine/compensation against each of the 32 murders and physical harm caused to 20 others over the period. It also set up a five-member ‘committee’ to sort out other related matters by Feb 25.

The jirga, held in Jatoi House here late on Friday evening, was presided over by former MNA Dr Ibrahim Jatoi and former MPA Mir Manzoor Khan Panhwar and assisted by Azhar Ali Khan Kamario, Dr Ali Nawaz Sawand, Mir Sikandar Khan Kakepoto, Mir Allah Bux Khan Kakepoto, Sardar Tegho Khan Teghani, Mir Chakar Khan Domki, Mir Abdul Nabi Teghani, Amanullah Khan Teghani, Zulfikar Khan Domki and Karim Dino Jatoi.

The jirga found the two sides guilty of killing 16 rivals each and established that Sabzois wounded eight Sawands and the latter wounded 12 Sabzois in different attacks and counter-attacks during the period of their hostility.

The ruling imposed a fine of Rs17.7 million on Sawands and Rs16.9m on Sabzois. After adjustment of the amounts, Sawands will have to pay only Rs800,000 to Sabzois.

The ‘committee’, comprising Haji Karim Dino Badani Jatoi, Mir Sikandar Ali Kakepoto, Sardar Allah Bux Khan Kakepoto, Sardar Tegho Khan Teghani and Dr Ali Nawaz Sawand, was assigned to sort out the matter of the disputed land by Feb 25 and look after the restoration of money/assets, snatched during the period of hostility by either side, to their owners.

The ruling said that a fine of Rs2.5m would be imposed on any side found violating the terms of the settlement spelled out by the jirga.

Jacobabad jirga holders remanded

SUKKUR: Jacobabad police produced five suspects, who were allegedly involved in convening a jirga, in the court of the first additional sessions judge on Saturday and obtained their five-day remand.

The suspects were nabbed after the Chief Justice of Pakistan took a suo motu notice of the reports about convening of the jirga near Jacobabad, which imposed Rs1.3m fine on a man and warned that if he failed to pay up, he was to give two of his minor daughters in marriage to his rivals.

Jacobabad SSP Sajid Hussain Khokhar told a press conference at his office here that cases had been lodged against the girls’ father Hashim Khoso as well as the eight suspects he had accused of convening the jirga, but it remained to be ascertained if the jirga did take place or not.

Hashim Khoso and his daughters had been taken into protective custody to save them from their rivals, he said.

He said that the cases against jirga were mostly registered by the state and stressed the need for making strong laws to eliminate the custom of karo-kari.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2017