SUKKUR: A showdown between police and a private force led by former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Mir Babul Khan Jakhrani was averted on Wednesday by saner elements within the Jacobabad district administration over alleged encroachment of a part of his land near the local cattle market.

The ex-lawmaker along with his men drove up to the market and raised objection to the presence of many animals as well as parking of vehicles by some cattle traders on a portion of his land next to the market. The private force in a threatening posture asked the “encroachers” to remove their vehicles and vehicles and leave at once or face the consequences. They also grabbed and dragged some of them and also deflated tyres of several vehicles to execute their order creating a law and order situation. The traders reacted to the use of force and called out the police who swiftly moved into action.

However, First Additional Deputy Commissioner Mr Nauman, rushed to the site and restrained the police from taking coercive action against the private force. He held negotiations with Mr Jakhrani but he refused to withdraw until all encroachments from his land were removed.

The episode continued for a couple of hours during which Deputy Commissioner Agha Shahnawaz Pathan and SSP Sajid Hussain Jakhrani were informed of the volatile situation. They also arrived at the scene and took stock of the situation.

Mr Jakhrani is at odds with his son, MNA Aijaz Jakhrani, over several matters, including his assets and sources of income. The row has cost him his affiliation with the PPP and forced him to defect to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf a few years ago. Recently, Babul Jakhrani, his another son, Khalid Jakhrani, and several relatives and associates were booked in various cases.

A few days ago the deputy commissioner decided to hand over the control of the cattle market to the local municipal committee, a move Babul Jakhrani believes was another strike on his sources of income” resorted to at the behest of Aijaz Jakhrani. At one stage of the negotiations between him and the ADC-I, Babul Jakhrani retreated into a compromise mood, saying that he would stop objecting to the encroachment of his land by cattle traders if the contract of the cattle market was awarded to him.

The ADC-I said the contract would be awarded through open tender to be invited by the town committee. He, however, persuaded the former lawmaker to allow a few days’ time to sort out the issue.

Mr Jakhrani and his force agreed to leave for the time being, saying that the district administration would have to take a decision acceptable to them. They warned that if the contract was awarded to any other party, the administration would have to shift the cattle market to some other place as it encroached upon his land. He repeated the allegation that the administration was victimising him on political grounds in collusion with the PPP and intimidating him, his family and associates by implicating them in fake cases.

Although, Mr Jakhrani and his force put off the matter to some other day, tension gripped the entire Jacobabad city in view of more than 50 killings that had occurred in the past over tribal feuds involving the local Jakhranis.

Considering a possibility of a major showdown, police officers and personnel from across the district have been called out and deployed around the cattle market.

SSP Khokhar told the media that physical possession of cattle market had been taken over from “political figures” and handed over to the Jacobabad Municipal Committee.

Action was not taken against Mir Babul Jakhrani considering his old age, he said, adding that the police did not want the matter to take a violent turn.

He also pledge due protection to cattle traders at the market.

Later, an FIR (106/2016) was registered against Babul Jakhrani’s associates at the Saddar police station on a complaint of head-constable Nawab Ali Aarbani for harassing people and making attempts to create a law and order situation.

The SSP said Babul Jakhrani’s name would also be included in the FIR. He placed SHO Ayaz Pathan of the Saddar police station and 10 of his subordinates under suspension.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2016