LARKANA: The Lark-ana police on Monday carried out a raid on the house of a murder suspect and took some of his female family members in custody creating a dispute with former adviser to the chief minister Mir Mohammad Amin Mengal, who strongly objected to the police action arguing that he had settled the matter at a jirga (private court) between the bereaved family and the “culprits”.

Mir Mengal had presided over the jirga when the matter of the kidnapping and murder of a youth, Ali Ahmed Brohi, in December last year allegedly over a freewill marriage issue, was taken up with him. The murder had caused great tension between the aggrieved and accused sides — both belonging to the Brohi tribe. During the proceedings of the jirga, accused Ramzan Brohi and Khan Mohammad Brohi confessed to have kidnapped Ali Ahmed Brohi from near the Police Training School, gagged him to death and thrown his body into Rohri Canal, according to sources.

After hearing the two sides, Mir Mengal pronounced his ruling imposing on the accused a fine of Rs3 million for the murder and Rs2 million for throwing his body into the canal. He warned that if any of the two sides violated the terms of the settlement, it would have to pay a total fine of Rs5 million. Both sides accepted the ruling and promised to abide by it and burry the hatchets, according to Mir Mohammad Amin Mengal. He said the ruling effectively defuse d tension between the two sides.

However, speaking to Dawn, Mir Mengal strongly reacted against the raid on the house of Ramzan Brohi on Monday to round up some tof his female family members. He described the police action as “quite uncalled for” now when the issue was settled by the jirga.

Culprits confess to kidnapping and murder in the jirga, presided over by an ex-aide to CM; Rs5m fine imposed on them

Earlier on March 20, Ali Ahmed Brohi’s mother, Noor Bibi, and her relatives had held a demonstration outside the local press club for the recovery of the missing/kidnapped youth. Noor Bibi later met the Larkana SSP, who was present at a function nearby. The SSP advised her to meet him in his office and assured her of all possible help in tracing out her son.

The SSP was informed that Ali Ahmed routinely visited the Shahnawaz Memorial Library to prepare for his exams. In the evening time, he had been working at a bus stand. The affected family alleged that he was kidnapped by certain fellow tribesmen (Brohis) residing in Warah town.

While the police were still investigating the matter, Ramzan Brohi and Khan Mohammad Brohi reportedly confessed to their crime in the jirga, which expects the Larkana police to stop any action against them and their family members or fellow tribesmen to honour the ruling given by Mir Muammad Amin Mengal.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2023