SUKKUR: Several jirgas (tribal courts) were held in upper Sindh areas on Saturday night and Sunday to settle civil disputes and criminal liabilities.

In Jacobabad, a jirga presided over by former Sindh minister Sardar Mir Manzoor Khan Panhwar, settled a bloody dispute between the Odho and Kharoos clans of the Jatoi tribe during proceedings held in Adam Khan Panhwar village on Sunday.

MNA Ghous Bakhsh Khan Mahar, Odho chieftain Sardar Mohammad Panah Odho, Jacobabad district council chairman Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Sarki, Dr Mohammad Ibrahim Jatoi and Mir Abid Hussain Jatoi participated in the hearing and consultations leading to the settlement.

The Odhos’ side was led by Gul Hasan Odho while Kharoos were represented by Manzoor Ahmed Kharos.

After holding consultations in a closed door meeting, Sardar Mir Manzoor Khan Panhwar approved the verdict drafted by his advisers.

The verdict was finally announced before all present members of the two clans. The Kharoos side was ordered to pay a fine/compensation of Rs28 million to Odhos against the killing of 14 Odhos and injuring eight others during their hostility. The Odhos were ordered to pay a fine of Rs4.9 million against killing of Kharoos clansmen and causing injuries to to 17 others. The jirga fixed Rs3 million fine/compensation for killing of each woman.

A two-member committee was formed to assess material/livestock losses caused to each side during the period of hostility.

The hostility had begun in 2009 when a member of the Soomro community wanted by Odhos in a criminal offence was given refuge by the Kharoos clan.

Another jirga was held the Saddar area of Jacobabad city to settle a dispute between two groups of the Jakhrani community on Sunday.He ruled that Mir Hasan Jakhrani was found guilty of the offence and would have to pay a fine of Rs6 million for killing Rehman and Rs100,000 for wounding Irshad.

The aggrieved side claimed that Mir Hasan Jakhrani, a member of the rival side, had killed Najeebur Rehman and wounded his companion Irshad Ahmed upon offering resistance to bike snatchers.

Former MNA Mir Babul Khan Jakhrani along with Sardar Shafqat Hussain Jakhrani and Mir Noorur Rehman Jakhrani heard the two sides.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2019