SUKKUR: A Jirga held in Khangarh, Ghotki district, on Saturday evening imposed a fine / compensation of Rs20.275m on the Kalhoro community and Rs11.6 million on the Jhanga-Mahar community of Pannu Aqil to bring an end to their longrunning hostility.

Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar presided over the proceedings with the assistance of Ghous Bakhsh Mahar, Kazim Khan Abbasi and notable from the rival sides. Several aides to the Sardar and community elders acted as mediators.

The matter pertained to murder of four persons and injuries to many others, besides abduction of two women, from both sides during the years-long hostility.

After hearing the two sides and cross-examining the nominated suspects, Sardar Mahar held consultation with his aides to reach a conclusion.

Finally, the Jirga ruling was read out by Ustad Taj Mohammad Mahar in the presence of several hundred members of the rival communities, besides the arbitrators and aides to Sardar Mahar.

The ruling fixed responsibility of each act of aggression leading to the murder, injuries and damage on the nominated suspects and ordered their respective community to pay the fine / compensation to the aggrieved side.

It fixed a fine of Rs3m against each of the two abducted Kalhoro women; Rs2.5m against each of the four murders (two each from the Mahar and Kalhoro communities).

The ruling also ordered safe return of the two abducted women to their families.

A compensation of Rs75,000 against grave injury and Rs50,000 against minor injury was fixed by the Jirga.

In the tit-for-tat attacks carried out by the two sides against each other during the hostility period, four persons — Naveed Mahar, Shahzado Mahar, Abdul Ghaffar Kalhoro and Ghulam Murtaza Kalhoro — had lost their lives. Pirano Mahar had sustained critical injuries. Those who had sustained minor injuries were Abdul Rasool Kalhoro, Shakeel Kalhoro, Ghulam Mohammad Mahar and Abdul Ghani Mahar.

A compensation of Rs500,000 was fixed against each of the claims of damage approved by the Jirga.

The Jirga also imposed an additional fine of Rs1million on the Kalhoro side for evading its previous proceedings.

As per the ruling, the Kalhoros have to pay a fine / compensation of Rs20.0275m and Mahars Rs11.6m. Thus the amount to be paid by the Kalhoros, after deducting the rival side’s liability, comes to Rs8.675m.

Both sides accepted the Jirga ruling and declared an end to their hostility.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2026