Price of war: Clansmen enmity claims three lives
Bhattis and Jatois have been at war for at least two years.
SUKKUR:
“On Wednesday morning, three Bhatti community men were murdered,” said Agra police station’s head constable, Manjhi Khan. This is a continuation of a three-year war between the Bhattis and Jatois in Khairpur.
“It all began when a Jatoi woman was kidnapped by the Bhattis. In retaliation, the Jatois kidnapped a Bhatti woman and thus an enmity developed,” said Khan.
A few men from the Bhatti community were reportedly working on agricultural land, in Lal Bux Bhatti village, earlier in the day, when a group of armed people, allegedly Jatoi clansmen, appeared and opened fire.
The firing killed Shoukat Bhatti, Mehboob Bhatti and Zahid Hulio, after which the suspects fled.
In retaliation to the killing of their men, over a karo-kari dispute, hundreds of Bhatti men staged a protest and a sit-in. The demonstration was held on the National Highway near Ranipur on Wednesday afternoon.
The men gathered there, with the bodies and shouted slogans against the police. Vehicular traffic at both ends of the protest was suspended for two hours. Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz’s chairman, Bashir Qureshi also joined the protest.
The protestors demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. Khairpur’s DPO, Irfan Baloch, reportedly arrived at the demonstration, and when the Bhatti community men were assured by him that justice would prevail they ended their protest.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.
“On Wednesday morning, three Bhatti community men were murdered,” said Agra police station’s head constable, Manjhi Khan. This is a continuation of a three-year war between the Bhattis and Jatois in Khairpur.
“It all began when a Jatoi woman was kidnapped by the Bhattis. In retaliation, the Jatois kidnapped a Bhatti woman and thus an enmity developed,” said Khan.
A few men from the Bhatti community were reportedly working on agricultural land, in Lal Bux Bhatti village, earlier in the day, when a group of armed people, allegedly Jatoi clansmen, appeared and opened fire.
The firing killed Shoukat Bhatti, Mehboob Bhatti and Zahid Hulio, after which the suspects fled.
In retaliation to the killing of their men, over a karo-kari dispute, hundreds of Bhatti men staged a protest and a sit-in. The demonstration was held on the National Highway near Ranipur on Wednesday afternoon.
The men gathered there, with the bodies and shouted slogans against the police. Vehicular traffic at both ends of the protest was suspended for two hours. Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz’s chairman, Bashir Qureshi also joined the protest.
The protestors demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. Khairpur’s DPO, Irfan Baloch, reportedly arrived at the demonstration, and when the Bhatti community men were assured by him that justice would prevail they ended their protest.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.