DADU: A considerably big population of the katcha area between Moundar and Ismail Ja Bhan villages along the right and left banks of River Indus has been made to remain indoors for about a week as the area — about 40 kilometres — has become a battleground with armed men having taken up positions challenging each other.

Armed men belonging to the Jatoi and Shahani communities had raised temporary structures to use them as “watchtowers” and have been firing into the air to keep them away from their respective positions.

The entire area reverberates with sound of gunfire intermittently during day and night times forcing residents of all villages within the vicinity to remain indoors.

The trouble started last week when three buffaloes owned by some Shahani community members were stolen from Ismail Ja Bhan village of Dadu district. A search by Shahanis with the help of sniffer dogs and footprint trackers led them to a stable, where the buffaloes were found. The stable belonged to former federal minister Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi.

According to Shahanis, when some people from their community asked the caretakers of the stable to hand back the buffaloes, a quarrel took place and Jatois resorted to firing. Two Shahanis, Mithal and Talib, were killed and three others, including Hubdar, were wounded in the incident, they claimed. An FIR at the Ismail Ja Bhan police station was registered on complaint of Khadim Shahani against nine persons belonging to the Jatoi tribe. The main suspects were named as Ali Gul, Bashir, Ghulam Ali, Gagoo and Riaz Lashari.

Shahanis kept mounting pressure on Jatois demanding that the suspects, besides the animals, be handed over to them. In the next couple of days, tension heightened to the extent that they stormed and took over Jatois’ stable and the adjoining portions of land. Fighting back, Jatois took over some lands belonging to Shahanis away from the stable.

Over the last few days, armed rivals took up positions in Keti Jatoi, Ismail Ja Bhan, Jhaloo, Keti Khera and Keti Ghaloo, as well as on Dadu-Moro bridge.

As parts of the troubled area falls within the jurisdiction of Naushahro Feroze district police, the SSP concerned mobilised his force to bring the situation under control but in vain.

On his part, Dadu SSP Aijaz Ahmed Shaikh ordered setting up of 10 check posts and deployment of 100 police personnel to prevent a flare-up and ensure arrest of those involved in the shooting incident.

However, latest reports from the area suggested that the two embattled communities appeared not ready to withdraw from their positions or occupied lands.

On Friday, SSP Shaikh and Dadu City DSP Abdul Khaliq Wagon visited the Ismail Ja Bhan police station and chalked out a strategy to defuse tension, force suspected killers to surrender and persuade all armed men to withdraw from their positions.

A police operation and crackdown was expected to be launched in the area within the next 48 hours, sources in police said.

Shahani chieftain Sardar Chakar Khan and his younger brother Sardar Ghulam Ali Khan, speaking to the media, said no withdrawal would take place until the culprits were handed over to the police by Jatois.

Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi also visited his lands in a caravan of over three dozen vehicles and appealed to both his own tribesmen and Shahanis to not to resort to bloodshed or violence.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2021

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