SUKKUR: Rival groups of Sundrani and Sawand clans agreed on Wednesday to take their dispute to a jirga to bring an end to their two-year-old hostility that has already claimed 29 lives on both sides in Kandhkot and Ghotki.

A big delegation of politicians, influential persons, Pirs, elders of different communities and social activists met with Dr Tariq Sawand and Dr Ali Nawaz Sawand, elders of Sawand community.

The delegation comprising Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, MPA Sardar Mehboob Ali Khan Bajrani, MNA Aijaz Khan Jakrani, MPA Sher Mohammad Mugheri, Pir of Bharchondi Sharif Mian Abdul Khaliq Qadri, Kashmore district chairman Mir Gul Mohammad Khan Jakhrani, Sardar Jalal Kalpar Bugti, Pir of Ghouspur, Syed Mohammad Shah; Syed Bashir Ahmad Shah, Pir of Amrot Sharif, Syed Faizur Rehman Geelani; Sardar Liaquat Khan Malik, Manzoor Ahmad Soomro and others appealed to Sawand brothers to settle their dispute with Sundranis through a jirga.

Dr Tariq Sawand and Dr Ali Nawaz Sawand agreed to end ongoing hostility between warring parties and settle it through jirga likely to be presided over by Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar at Gohar Palace on July 4 in Khangarh, Ghotki.

Sources said that a ceasefire had been declared between the warring parties till the jirga was held. The root cause of the Sawand-Sundrani was Karo-kari dispute and it was decided murder of Prof Ajmal Sawand would be decided separately, said the sources.

Dr Tariq Sawand, elder brother of Prof Ajmal Sawand, said that they had always kept away from the dispute and never tried to add fuel to it. “We are educated and we don’t want to see further loss of human lives,” he said.

Sources said that the conflict had claimed 29 lives so far. 14 including Prof Ajmal Sawand on Sawands’ side and 11 on Sundranis’ side, three Malik community men and one Thaheem clansman lost their lives in the clash.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2024