• Declare they have no association with riverine area gangs, other criminals
• Party seeks meeting with president, PM, army chief, governor and CM to discuss peace across Sindh
• Proposes anti-crime committees at grass root level

SUKKUR: Highly influential feudal lords, including Sardar Taighu Khan Teghani, Dr Ibrahim Jatoi, Agha Taimoor Pathan and Shah Zain Khan Bijarani attended the ‘grand jirga’ hosted by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Sindh, in Sukkur on Monday.

It was aimed at seeking cooperation from all influential figures of upper Sindh in bringing an end to “dacoit gangs’ rule” in Sindh’s riverine areas tribal conflicts.

The Jirga was part of the weeks-long campaign for complete peace in the province launched by the party’s Sindh chapter on June 11. The drive includes protest demonstrations in front of press clubs followed by multi-party conferences on district and sub-divisional levels across Sindh and a big demonstration, led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman outside CM House in Karachi on July 17.

The party says that this ‘strong protest drive’ is aimed at forcing the provincial government to take effective measures against lawlessness — abductions, murders, kidnapping for ransom and other heinous crimes — and bringing an end to dacoit gangs’ rule over riverine areas of upper Sindh.

Describing the grand Jirga held in a local hotel as ‘historic’, the JUI-F Sindh leadership said that it was remarkably attended by almost all influential chieftains of their respective communities.

The Jirga was presided over by the party’s Sindh Emir Maulana Abdul Qayyum Hale­jvi. Those who attended it were, besides tribal elders, leaders of political, religious and social organisations coming from across Sindh, the party said.

Ways to achieve the objectives were discussed threadbare, it added.

Speaking at the Jirga to sum up the proceedings, JUI-F Sindh General Secretary Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro said federal and Sindh governments would have to take effective measures to ensure complete peace across the province.

The Jirga issued a strongly-worded declaration highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation in Sindh.

Maulana Soomro said that dacoits gangs rule over a large part of Sindh and, as a result, abductions, murders and other heinous crimes had been rampant for long.

“The government has completely failed [to establish its writ]; the rulers seem indifferent; elderly people, women and even young children are no longer safe. Kidnapping for ransom has become a fully-fledged industry,” he said.

The JUI-F leader pointed out that government’s writ in the districts like Shikarpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Jacobabad and Ghotki — covering a radius of over 50 kilometres has vanished.

“The police, Rangers and state machinery have failed miserably. Appointments in police on political basis, rather than merit, have worsened the situation,” he said.

Maulana Soomro lamented that despite spending billions of rupees to enforce rule of law over the past year, crime could not be controlled in the region.

“In the last five years alone, over 3,000 people have been killed in Sukkur and Larkana divisions; the victims included DSPs, SHOs and even Rangers personnel,”

The Jirga demanded setting up of anti-crime committees at the district, taluka and police station levels. “A comprehensive clean-up operation should be launched in the riverine areas, and border control must be tightened; state institutions must clarify how modern weapons are reaching dacoits,” it said.

The tribal chieftains unanimously declared that they had no concern whatsoever with criminals or dacoits, the party said, adding that they also resolved that “no compensation (diyat) would be paid if any thief or bandit is killed”.

Maulana Soomro also called for JUI-F team’s urgent meeting with the president, prime minister, chief of army staff and governor and chief minister of Sindh so that they could be apprised of ‘ground realities’. A joint strategy for peace and resolution of tribal conflicts would be devised, he said.

A JUI-F release said that the Jirga was attended by Syed Siraj Ahmed Shah Amroti, Mufti Saud Afzal Halejvi, Maulana Mohammad Saleh Andhar, Dr A.G. Ansari, Maulana Abdul Malik Talpur and Maulana Mohammad Ramzan Phulpoto.

Besides Dr Mohammad Ibrahim Jatoi, Agha Taimoor Pathan,Sardar Tegho Khan Teghani and Shah Zain Khan Bijaran, the grand Jirga was attended by Mohammad Khan Khoso, Mubeen Khan Balo, Dr Muhammad Abbas Chachar, Nooruddin Chauhan, Niaz Ahmed Behangwar, Rashid Ali Lashari, Mir Zafar Hussain Sangi, Sardar Ali Hassan and Sardar Ghaus Bakhsh Khan, the party’s release said.

Several other influential figures were also present, it added.

It was announced that the next Jirga would be held July 30 and a ‘grand peace march’ on August 14 from Kashmore to the CM House in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2025