Karo kari: Jirga asks man to leave village forever

SUKKUR:

A newlywed couple was ordered to live separately after a jirga declared them as karo and kari. The husband was asked to leave the village while the wife was told to go and live with her parents.

The jirga was held in the Satam Daro village near Rohri on Wednesday, to resolve the tribal dispute between the Labanos and Khosos. It was led by tribal elder Sikandar Khan Labano.

Nearly 10 days ago, Shahid Khoso and Hazooran Labano ran away from home to get married. However, Hazooran’s parents insisted that their daughter was kidnapped. The Labanos raided the Bashir Khoso village and forced their way into Bashir’s house to kidnap his wife Mai Zulekha, Mai Zainab and a girl identified as Rabia.

A heavy contingent of the police raided and cordoned off the katcha area near the Labano villages. The police pressured the tribesmen to return the abducted women. After a series of negotiations, they gave in and the women were allowed to go home on March 29.

A large number of Khoso and Labano tribesmen attended the jirga. After listening to both sides of the argument, Sikandar Khan said that the couple was karo and kari as Hazooran had eloped with Shahid and had married him without her parent’s consent. He ordered Shahid to leave the village immediately and never return.

The Dubbar police station SHO said that he was in Karachi for a court case and did not know if the jirga had taken place. He added that the couple had filed a petition in the high court and had asked for protection.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2012.