SHIKARPUR, Feb 15: The elements of Qambranis, Brohis, Marfanis, Mahars and Jatois who are bent on keeping the fires of tribal wars raging attacked on one another in an apparent bid to check the peace efforts in their tracks before a ‘peace rally’ set out on a journey towards the areas worst affected by tribal clashes on Thursday.

The ‘peace rally’ organised by Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and participated by notables of different communities and representatives of NGOs, which had planned to march to Golo Daro and other worst affected areas of Shikarpur and Garhi Yasin talukas to persuade the warring tribes to reconcile, was greeted with more attacks before it had even started.

Before the rally led by JSQM chief Basheer Khan Qureshi left Shikarpur for Golo Daro some armed Qambrani and Brohi tribesmen attacked the Pitafi Marfani village seriously injuring Ms Ghulam Zohra Marfani and Darya Khan Marfani.

The rally participants carrying the Holy Quran and Shah Jo Risalo reached the Deval Khan Qambrani village. They met with Qambranis chief Deval Khan Qambrani and made an appeal to the notables of Qambranis, Brohis and Marfanis to stop bloodshed of innocent people and settle their disputes through reconciliation.Mr Deval Khan sought two weeks time to consult with his advisers and partners before giving a clear answer as to how their dispute with Marfanis could be settled.

The rally then went to a cluster of Marfani villages near the Deval Khan village before returning to their homes and held talks with Marfani notables who agreed to a settlement through a reputable mediator but stopped short of giving a clear timeframe.

Mahars and Jatois also fought pitched gun battles at Tarat Jatoi and Habibkot villages in Lakhi taluka just when the ‘peace rally’ was preparing to proceed to Golo Daro.

Taking advantage of tribal clashes some armed groups blocked the roads and attempted to rob vehicles on the Shikarpur-Sukkur Road near Sarkari Wah and Khanpur-Kandhkot Road late on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, a meeting of police officials at the DPO office reviewed measures against criminal activities.