HYDERABAD, Aug 22: The police arrested at least 11 people, including some members of Sarhandi family and their disciples, in Matiari on Tuesday on the charge of attacking a police party.

However, the police have not so far lodged an FIR against Matiari District Nazim Mohammad Ali Shah Jamote and his father Syed Zulfikar Shah Jamote, former senator and Matiari DPO Javed Odho and SHO Jiandal Shah, ordered by the Hyderabad additional district and sessions judge-I earlier in the day.

Registration of the FIR was ordered by the court on a human rights application filed by Pir Ghulam Mujadid Sarhandi, the Sajjada Nasheen of Matiari’s Pir Sarhandi Dargah (shrine).

Ghulam Mujadid told Dawn over phone that the police surrounded the shrine and their residence and were patrolling the area. He said so far nine FIRs had been registered against them but the police had not taken any action to recover his son Ghulam Rasool Sarhandi.

The situation is linked to a dispute between the Sarhandis and some member of Sand community who, according to the Sarhandis, are backed by influential Jamotes. Cases and counter-cases have been lodged by the Sarhandis and the Sands which, according to the DPO, are pending in courts.

“The controversy dates back to early years of this decade when I was nominated in a murder case after I planned to contest general elections on PPP ticket against Arbab Amir Abdullah, the brother of now Sindh chief minister Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim”, said Ghulam Mujadid. He had been acquitted in the case, he added.

Ghulam Mujadid again approached the court on Wednesday, alleging that Zulfikar Jamote, DPO Odho and SHO Shah attacked them and resorted to heavy firing at their residence, destroying its wall. He said that his brothers, Pir Ghulam Mohammad Sarhandi and Pir Ali Sher Sarhandi, and their 30 disciples were taken away by the police with licensed weapons.

Ghulam Majaddid alleged that Zulfikar Jamote, the nazim and Gul Hassan Sand told him that if he dared lodge an FIR against them and the SHO, they would not be allowed to live in Matiari district. He said that they warned that his kidnapped brother would be killed in a fake encounter.

Ghulam Mujadid alleged that the SHO said that his son was in the captivity of the Jamotes and he would get his body if he dared lodge any FIR against them. He also accused the SHO of taking away Rs380,000 from, some goats and licensed weapons from his residence.

According to Mujadid’s counsel, Ayaz Tunio, the additional district and sessions judge ordered the SHO to incorporate Ghulam Mujaddid’s statement in the proposed FIR and submit its copy in the court on Thursday.

DPO Odho told Dawn that no FIR had been lodged as the other side was going to move the Sindh High Court against the order of the lower court.

On Tuesday, the judge ordered registration of an FIR against the district nazim, the DPO and the SHO on the application filed by Ghulam Mujadid. He alleged that his son had been kidnapped at the instance of Jamotes. Then, he said, his brother Abdul Haleem Sarhandi was picked up by the SHO on August 1, for which he filed a criminal miscellaneous application in the same court and the judge appointed the civil judge and judicial magistrate of Matiari as raid commissioner.

The magistrate raided Oderolal police post and found Haleem in wrongful detention. On August 18, the judge observed that the detainee was at liberty to get a FIR registered against the SHO and other policemen regarding his illegal confinement and maltreatment.

The judge sent copies of the order to the RPO and the DIG of Hyderabad as well as the DPO of Matiari for taking necessary action against delinquent officers.

The district Nazim could not be contacted as his cell phone remained continuously engaged.