DADU: The Otha community and Rind tribe, by accepting a jirga (tribal court) ruling, have buried the hatchet declaring an end to their 25 years of hostility that had left six persons, including a tribal headman, dead. Several women belonging to both sides had also been kidnapped during the period of the hostility.

The jirga — jointly presided over by former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) minister Sardar Mir Manzoor Khan Panhwar and Sardar Hakim Ali Noohani — was held at the residence of Sardar Sikandar Ali Rahpoto, former taluka nazim of Sehwan also belonging to the PPP, in Bhambha village of Sehwan taluka. It went into session on Thursday evening and continued its deliberation till late in the night. The jirga’s ruling was read out by Riaz Ahmed Chandio, who heads his faction of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz, known as JSM-R.

The deliberations were attended by a large number of people belonging to both sides.

The jirga found the Rind tribe guilty of killing five men and injuring another one besides kidnapping four women of the Otha community in retaliation to the murder of the Rind headman, Abdul Rahim Rind, and kidnap of some women. The Rinds were ordered to pay a fine/compensation of Rs21 million to the aggrieved side.

It noted that attacks by Rind tribesmen during the hostility had claimed the lives of Ghulam Hussain, Shah Mohammad, Ghulam Nabi, Ghulam Rasool and Gul Sher. The injured man was identified as Gul Hassan.

The Otha community was ordered to pay a fine/compensation of Rs4.5m for killing Abdul Rahim Rind and kidnapping certain women of the tribe.

The two sides accepted the jirga’s ruling and undertook its compliance.

Those who advocated their respective sides and provided their opinion to help Sardar Panhwar and Sardar Noohani reach a fair conclusion included Sardar Mohammed Ayub Rind, Syed Asif Ali Shah, Dr Niaz Kalani, Hanif Sagar Burdi, Syed Ghulam Hussain Shah, Ayaz Solangi, Sardar Mir Mohammed Otho, Inayat Rind, Ghulam Murtaza Otho, Haji Ghulam Mustafa Rind, Haji Ibrahim Otho, Khuda Bukhsh Rind, Nawab Lashkar Khan Rind, Mir Soba Rind and Mohammad Amin Rind.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2018