SUKKUR: A grand jirga (tribal court) held in Shikarpur on Monday settled a 26-year-old bloody dispute between rival groups of Bijarani and Teghani clans in which 46 people, including two passers-by, lost their lives and over 70 others suffered injuries.

Dr Muhammad Ibrahim Jatoi presided over the jirga held at the Jatoi House in Shikarpur. Tribal chieftains Sardar Mehboob Ali Bijarani, Shabir Ali Bijarani, Sardar Teghu Khan Teghani, Ghous Bakhsh Khan Mahar, Shehryar Khan Mahar, Moazam Abbasi, Riaz Chandio, Abdul Nabi Teghani and others participated in the jirga. He imposed over Rs64 million on both parties as fine for killing each others’ clansmen.

The arbitrator heard the arguments of the counsels from both sides and found that 46 people had been killed in the bloody dispute that had started over a piece of agricultural land.

It found the Teghani clan guilty of killing 23 people and wounding 40 others of the Bijarani clan, and the Bijarani clan guilty of killing 21 people and wounding 30 others of the other side.

The jirga fixed Rs1 million as blood money for each man’s murder and Rs3 million for woman’s murder.

It also found that two passers-by, a woman belonging to the Malik community and a youth belonging to the Mirani clan, were shot dead during the clashes.

The arbitrator imposed Rs27.2 million on the Bijarani clan for killing 21 people of their rivals and Rs29.9 million on the Teghani clan for killing 23 people of the other side.

The local court also ordered the two parties to pay the blood money of the victim passers-by.

The arbitrator imposed Rs5 million on the Bijarani clan for attacking vehicles of the Teghani Sardars.

The jirga said that one Ameen (trusted man) would be chosen from each side for the distribution of the disputed land.

The local court compelled the two parties to pay the blood money within the prescribed time.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2023