A five-member inquiry committee formed by the Sukkur DPO confirmed that the jirga in Pannu Aqil had decided to trade 12 girls to settle four murder cases.
The jirga was held to reconcile a longstanding conflict between two groups of the Mahar family. The inquiry report confirmed earlier stories that the jirga was held in Mohammad Ibrahim Mahar village under the joint leadership of Mohammad Ibrahim and Mohammad Murad.
After hearing arguments from the two groups, the jirga announced its verdict — Paryal Mahar’s group was found guilty of murdering four members of the Alan Mahar family. They were ordered to pay a fine of Rs250,000 and give away 12 minor girls to settle the matter.
Both groups accepted the verdict and preparations were under way to solemnise the nikah of the 12 girls with 12 men and boys of the Alan Mahar family.
Sukkur ADIG Shoukat Ali Abbasi told The Express Tribune that if the media had not taken up the issue prominently or if the police had not forced the men to flee, the verdict would have been implemented. Only one man has been arrested so far but the police are conducting raids to catch the remaining accused, he assured.
The inquiry committee, headed by Pannu Aqil SPO Qalandar Bux Soomro, includes Sadhuja SPO Badar Bhutto, Raza Goth SHO Amanullah Shah, and SIOs Ghulam Murtaza Malik and Atta Mohammad Abbasi as members. The committee submitted its report to the Sukkur ADIG.
These members recorded the statements of Hasil Mahar’s wife Samreen, his seven-year-old daughter Samina, Paryal Mahar’s wife Irshad Khatoon and Ali Hasan Mahar’s six-year-old daughter Naveeda - all of whom confirmed that the jirga was held and it ordered the exchange of the girls.
The report quotes these family members as saying that the jirga also imposed a fine of Rs250,000 on the Paryal Mahar group. The verdict was, however, not upheld because the issue gained media attention and a case was registered, prompting the police to conduct raids.
On May 6, Raza Goth ASI Shah Muhammad Mirani had lodged an FIR (No. 107/2011), under sections 310-A, 311 and 120-B of the Pakistan Penal Code. Twenty-five men, including Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Murad, Paryal, Hasil and Alan were nominated in the FIR. The police have only managed to arrest Mir Mohammad, a son of Mohammad Ibrahim.
Earlier, some police officers had denied that the jirga gave such a verdict. Sukkur DPO quoted Paryal Mahar, saying that they have given Rs1.7 million so far to compensate the murders and will pay the remaining Rs500,000 next month.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2011.
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