HYDERABAD: A joint investigation team (JIT) has been formed to look into the circumstances leading to a series of violent incidents involving two rival groups of litigants after they attended proceedings of a case at Kotri’s Judicial Complex on Friday (Oct 30).

The groups — one side belonging to the Burfat and the other to the Barejo community — had engaged in a heated argument, which was followed by scuffles. The situation had turned worse when firearms were used by some of them.

One person, Dilsher, son of Jaffar Burfat, had died and three others, Qasim, son of Gul Hassan, Ayaz, son of Ali Mohammad, and Asif, son of Ali Akbar, were wounded. They were shifted to the Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad. Another person, Azeem Barejo, who was injured during the scuffle, was taken to the Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro, by his brother, Dhani Bakhsh, who had proceeded to the court after hearing about the scuffle.

Azeem and Sharif were arrested, soon after the episode, for allegedly killing Dilsher Burfat.

The JIT, formed by the Jamshoro SSP, is headed by SDPO Kotri with SHOs of the Kotri, A-Section and B-Section police stations and four other police officers as its members.

It would investigate the charges levelled in the FIR No. 484/26 registered under Sections 302, 324, 147, 148, 149, 504, 506 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the Kotri police station.

It is supposed to collect material and circumstantial evidence and submit its reports to the Jamshoro SSP on a daily basis.

The FIR was lodged against Dhani Bakhsh, his son Sarmad and brothers, Azeem, Aslam, Sharif and Ismail. Dhani Bakhsh, Azeem and Ismail work as reporters for different media organisations.

The dispute between the rival sides pertained to the ownership of some pieces of land in Yousuf Baloch village of Kotri district.

The court hearing on Friday pertained to an application for confirmation or otherwise of a pre-arrest bail filed by Azeem, his brother Sharif and their nephew Sarmad (son of Dhani Bakhsh). The court confirmed the bail pleas of Azeem and Sharif, but dismissed that of Sarmad, who had escaped arrest.

The plots in dispute are situated in the Hari Camp area of Kotri near the shrine of Baba Salahuddin. Yousuf Baloch village is also adjacent to the shrine.

The two sides had earlier lodged FIRs against each other.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2026