Sweet justice?: Jirga asks landlord to pay Rs2m to the family of dead man

Men representing Kachelo, accepted the verdict and handed over a cheque for Rs1 million to Asif’s father.

MIRPUR KHAS:

A jirga has asked an influential landlord, Faisal Kachelo, to pay a sum of Rs2 million for killing a young Christian labourer.

Kachelo had reportedly killed Asif, alias Shera Masih, on July 8 for taking mud out of a watercourse in Piran ji Nali. His family had claimed that some men had dragged him to a spot near Kachelo’s autaq (drawing room), where he was tortured and shot dead. The victims’ father, Allah Dita, had lodged an FIR at Kot Ghulam Muhammad police station against three men, including Kachelo.

The jirga, led by Pir Saleem Jan Sarhandi, was held on Thursday at Sarhandi Goth. Hafeez Kachelo, Muhammad Aslam Dal and Abdul Rahim Dal, who were representing Kachelo, accepted the verdict and handed over a cheque for Rs1 million to Asif’s father. They said that the remaining amount would be paid when Asif’s family withdraws the case. When contacted, Sarhandi, told Sindh Express that the issue had been resolved according to Islamic laws and that both parties had mutually accepted the decision. He said that Rs2 million have been given to Asif’s family. However, Asif’s family refused to comment on the issue. Before the jirga, the family said that Kachelo’s was pressuring them to withdraw the case. The killing had sparked outrage among the Christian community.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2012.