SUKKUR, Jan 18: The Jirga between Mehars and Jatois will be held next week, chieftains of the Jatoi and the Mahar tribes confirmed here on Saturday.

Dr Ibrahim Jatoi, an MPA and the chieftain of the Jatoi tribe, who held a meeting with the district Nazim, Ghotki, and the chieftain of the Mahar tribe, Sardar Ali Gohar Mahar at Khan Garh, and clarified that they (the Jatois) had been delayed but they very much desired restoration of peace between the two tribes.

Denying the accusations that the Jatois had fired rockets on the Rehmatullah Mahar village, he told Ali Gohar Mahar that the Jatois were willing to settle the dispute.

He said that a neutral person should be sent to the Rehmat Mahar village for holding an inquiry, adding that, in fact the Roedad Jatoi village had been the real target.

He said that despite the rocket attack, they had managed to come to participate in the Jan 17 Jirga.

Sardar Mehar told Ibrahim Jatoi that the Jirga would now be held in the next week and the federal minister, Ghous Bakhsh Mahar would also be there.

When contacted, the DIG (operations), Syed Mushtaq Shah, said that while the Jirga had no legal status the police would welcome peace between the two tribes.

He said that the police would be on high alert on the next date of the Jirga, and no one would be allowed to carry weapons.

LAB: The Sindh Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Manzoor Ali Khan Panhwer, on Saturday directed officials to set up a veterinary laboratory in Jacobabad.