SUKKUR: A jirga (tribal court) presided over by Sardar Manzoor Khan Panhwar — a former Sindh minister belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party — in Adam Khan Panhwar village of Jacobabad district on Wednesday evening settled a 27-year-old blood feud between the Badani and Phulwani communities of Domki clan living in the Bakhshapur area of Kandhkot-Kashmore district.

The well-attended jirga heard the two sides before going into a session with leading figures of different tribes and clans acting as advisers to Sardar Panhwar. After one hour of consultations, the jirga issued its ruling fixing a compensation of Rs3 million for the murder of a female and Rs1.5m of a man. The compensation for injuring a person was fixed at Rs100,000.

A total of 10 male and seven female persons, including children, were killed in tit-for-tat attacks carried out during the 27 years of hostility. Three persons were injured in the attacks.

A large number of people from both sides attended the jirga and expressed their full faith in Sardar Panhwar and undertook to accept his ruling and comply with it.

The ruling was penned down by Karim Dino Badani as per the dictation of Sardar Panhwar, who later read it out to the audience.

He was assisted by advisers Sardar Ahmed Ali Bhangwar, Tariq Hussain Domki, Mohammad Nawaz Chachar, Sher Ali Domki and others.

Khadim Hussain Badani Domki pleading his case against the side led by Baba Rasool Bux Phulwani Domki alleged that his wife, three young daughters and two minor sons, as well as wife of his relative Allah Bux Domki, along with his minor son and daughter were burnt alive in an arson attack on their houses. A man also sustained burns in the attack, he added. He identified all the victims.

The jirga found Phulwani Domki side guilty of killing five male and seven female members of the rival community and injuring one person. It was ordered to pay a compensation of Rs28.6m to the Badani Domki side.

The Badani Domki side was found guilty of killing four male members of the rival community and injuring two other persons. It was ordered to pay a compensation of Rs7.7m to the other side.

As a goodwill gesture, the Badani Domki side waived off Rs500,000 and accepted Rs28.1m compensation which would be payable by Phulwani Domki side after deducting Rs7.7m being receivable by it from the rival side.

The Phulwani Domki side undertook to pay off the compensation in three equal instalments — on June 15, 2019, Jan 15, 2020 and June 15, 2020.

Both sides agreed to bury the hatchet and withdraw all cases lodged against each other during the days of hostility.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2019