Tribal clash claims 7 lives
The labourers were kidnaped from a coal mine in Mach and taken to the nearby hills where they were shot at. PHOTO: FILE
A tribal dispute between Mahars and Jatois of Pannu Aqil, district Sukkur, claimed seven lives on Monday and left seven others injured as an armed group of Mahar tribe allegedly attacked the village of Jatois.
SSP Sukkur district Zubair Nazeer Shaikh, while talking to the media, confirmed the death toll and said that six of the slain persons and five injured belonged to Jatois while one person of Mahars lost life and two others sustained injuries.
The assailants took two dead bodies with them which were returned to Jatois after five hours when local influential people arbitrated between the two sides which had been fighting over a piece of agricultural land. The incident happened in the village Wali Muhammad Marrani Jatoi in a katcha [riverbed] area within the limits of Raza Goth police station.
The deceased have been identified as Imamuddin Jatoi, Wali Muhammad Jatoi, Pathan Jatoi, Azeem Jatoi, Khushi Muhammad Jatoi, Shahwal Jatoi and Abdul Hafeez Mahar. Mahars had taken away the bodies of Imamuddin and Khushi Muhammad.
The firing between the two sides continued for a few hours because the police responded late to the situation.
The SSP said the police have set up check post in the area to prevent further bloodshed. The FIR of the incident has not been lodged so far. The bodies were shifted to taluka hospital for postmortem.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2024.