Tug-of-war: Two men die as clans battle over land

The ongoing dispute has claimed six lives in two months.

SUKKUR:

Two people were killed when the Khoso and Panhwar clans clashed over land near Rohri. The dispute escalated during the early hours of Tuesday in Sikandar Khan Panhwar village in Dubbar police limits.

A group of armed men, believed to be Khosos, reportedly raided the Panhwar village and opened fire at the residents who returned fire. Samad Khan Panhwar, son-in-law of Sardar Sikandar Khan Panhwar, was killed in the crossfire while the assailants fled.

The death of the sardar’s son-in-law worsened the skirmish as both clans continued to exchange fire intermittently throughout the night. On Tuesday morning, the firing intensified and Bhoro Khoso was killed while Imam Zadi was injured and was taken to the Taluka Hospital, Rohri.

Samad’s brother, Nek Mohammad, registered a case against nine Khoso clansmen - Rafiq, Sadaruddin, Faizullah, Saeed, Asad, Bakhtiar, Bashir and Mahewal - with the Dubbar police. However no arrests have been made yet. The Khoso and Panhwar clansmen have been fighting over the land for two months and so far the dispute has claimed six lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2011.