SUKKUR: As many as 44 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the July 21 invasion of Narch village, falling within the limits of the Sangi police station of Pannu Aqil, police said on Friday.

The police and area residents said that around 170 people riding scores of motorcycles and many of them waving firearms had stormed their way into the village and opened fire killing two youths and kidnapping two women along with a young girl on the night of July 21.

They claimed that the invaders belonged to the Mahar clan and lived in Raza Goth, situated within the gang-infested riverine area of Pannu Aqil. They targeted a particular house but several others also came under the attack during their indiscriminate firing, the villagers claimed. The village is dominated by Kalhoro tribesmen.

The police said that a strong contingent of police equipped with sophisticated weapons had been raiding various places in and around Raza Goth since July 22 to apprehend the remaining suspects.

They said that APCs were also being used in the action.

Sukkur SSP Sanghaar Malik told the media that the Sangi police arrested four more suspects bringing the total number of those rounded up in the week-long action to 46. A large number of arms and ammunition had been seized during the action, he added.

On July 24, Sukkur police had rounded up 40 suspects after registering an FIR against 34 nominated and 140 unknown attackers of the village under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act.

The SSP said 16 of the arrested suspects were among the 34 nominated in the FIR.

He said that the remaining suspects might have taken refuge in places located deep into the gang-infested riverine area to escape arrest.

He said that the two women (sisters) and the girl kidnapped by the Mahars had been safely recovered the very next day of the invasion.

Residents of Narch village said that the Mahars targeted the Kalhoro family after a woman member of the former went missing and they believed that she was kidnapped by a member of the family.

Neither the woman nor the accused youth could be traced out till Friday.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2023