‘Karo-kari’ dispute: Man told to offer three girls as ‘compensation’

The girls are reportedly between the ages of seven and eleven

SUKKUR: A jirga held late Sunday night in Momin Kursi village, Shikarpur, has ordered a man to have his two sisters and a niece married to members of the opposing party.

About six months ago, Abdul Waheed Jatoi labelled his wife as ‘kari’ with Amanullah Jatoi. He asked her to leave his house and live with her parents. This incident ignited a stand-off between two groups of the Jatoi tribe and since then, Abdul Waheed had been wrangling with Amanullah to settle the matter.

A jirga, headed by an elder, Abdul Wahab Jatoi, was finally held late Sunday night. A large number of villagers turned up to watch the settlement.



The jirga patiently heard both sides and after a long discussion with other elders, the verdict was finally announced: Amanullah Jatoi was declared karo and was ordered to pay fine of Rs0.2 million to Abdul Waheed Jatoi. Besides this, the jirga also ordered him to have two of his sisters and a niece married to members of Abdul Waheed Jatoi’s group.

Amanullah Jatoi accepted the verdict and paid Rs50,000 at the spot, promising to pay the rest within a month. The bartered girls were reportedly between the ages of seven and eleven.

The jirga took place within the jurisdiction of the Rustam police station. When contacted, SHO Akhtar Abro said that he was not aware that the jirga had taken place. SSP Captain Pervaiz Chandio was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2012.