Both sides fined Rs77m in 15-year-old feud which claimed 52 lives PHOTO: FILE
SUKKUR: A 15-year-old land dispute between the Bhayo and Jakhrani tribes, which has claimed around 52 lives, including those of women, was resolved through a jirga in Jacobabad on Sunday night.
The jirga, held at Jakhrani House in Jacobabad, decided that both the sides would be fined Rs77 million in total, which will be paid to each other in three equal instalments.
Former provincial minister Mir Manzoor Panhwar, known as a local jirga 'specialist', presided over the meeting at the house of former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA Mir Babul Khan Jakhrani, father of the party's present MNA Aijaz Jakhrani, according to sources.
Besides a number of people from both the tribes, the jirga was also attended by tribal elders, including provincial minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Sarfaraz Khan Domki, PPP's Larkana Division general secretary Gul Mohammad Jakhrani, Mir Abid Sundrani, Abid Bhayo, Mir Hazoor Bux Domki and Sardar Haider Ali Jakhrani, among others.
The jirga heard the feuding tribesmen as well as eyewitnesses for around five hours, during which their statements were recorded. Later, Panhwar and other tribal elders held a three-hour closed-door discussion and came out with their verdict. Their decision was announced by Karim Dino Badani.
A fine of Rs1 million was fixed for the killing of tribesmen, Rs2 million for killing a woman, Rs2.5 million for killing a pregnant woman and Rs3 million for killing elders from either tribe. As far as the injured are concerned, fines between Rs0.2 million to Rs0.3 million were imposed depending on the severity of injuries. Moreover, according to the verdict, the Jakhrani tribe was found guilty of killing 29 Bhayo tribespersons, including two women and an elder, and a fine of Rs38.6 million was imposed on it. Similarly, the Bhayo tribe was found guilty of killing 22 Jakhrani tribespersons, including two women, out of which one was pregnant, and as many tribal elders. Thus, a fine of Rs38.4 million was imposed on them. The jirga also decided to impose a fine of Rs4 million on whosoever resorts to aggression in the future.
The fines will be paid in three equal installments, out of which the first tranche will be paid in April, the second in July and the last in January 2017. The dispute between Bhayo and Jakhrani tribes had started in 2001 over a piece of land.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2016.
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