KHAIRPUR, Aug 12: Scores of people belonging to Mari tribe blocked the National Highway near Siyal Mori bus stop on Sunday by placing the bodies of two slain men and staging a sit-in on the highway.

The protesters led by their tribal chief, Rais Wali Mohammad Mari, brought the traffic to a halt for about two hours. They were demanding arrest of the murderers.

Some people killed Anwar Ali Mari and Lal Bux Mari at the inspection path of Rohri canal near Soho Kansira after kidnapping them on Saturday evening. In a seemingly related incident; on Saturday morning armed men had left one Ghulam Qasim Phulpoto injured near Jumo Phulpoto village.

Maris’ chief Rais Wali Mohammad told journalists that his people did not want any feud with the Phulpotos and claimed that they wanted peace.

He said that 40 primary schools and a high school had remained closed and agriculture and trade activities in about 25 main villages in five union councils had come to a halt over the past four months due to bloody tribal disputes.

MPA Imtiaz Phulpoto said that his tribe had no dispute with Maris and blamed criminals on both sides for the killings. If police arrested the criminals on both sides, the dispute would come to an end of itself, he said.

Five people including three from Mari and two from Phulpoto tribes have been killed and one injured during last three days.