SUKKUR: A jirga (tribal court) presided over by former Sindh minister Sardar Manzoor Khan Panhwar and Mugheri community chieftain Sardar Mohammed Ayub Mugheri, held at the residence of Mir Sher Mohammed Mugheri in Jacobabad city late on Friday evening, settled a five-year-old dispute between three groups of the Mugheri community. The dispute has claimed 23 lives in attacks and counter-attacks during the period of hostility.

The jirga, assisted by Mir Mohammed Mithal Mugheri, Raees Shah Ghazi Mugheri, Mir Sher Mohammed Mugheri and others, fixed a compensation of Rs1 million for an ordinary person killed in the violent attacks.

It also fixed a compensation Rs2.5 million and Rs2 million for the killing of two community elders — Raees Mashooq Ali Sathiyani Mugheri and Dr Amanullah Bambrani Mugheri — respectively.

The jirga fixed responsibility of each murder on the basis of evidence and witness accounts and allowed the guilty to approach the bereaved families if they wanted to get the compensation waived under pardon.

Accepting the jirga ruling, all three groups undertook to withdraw the murder cases lodged against each other at various police stations of Sindh and Balochistan.

The jirga announced heavy fine for a violation of its ruling.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2017