SUKKUR, Sept 22: A dispute between the Mahar and the Almani tribes over the much-publicized love marriage of Shaista Almani and Balkhsher Mahar has been resolved at a meeting held at the Chief Minister's House in Karachi.
Sources told Dawn that the meeting which continued till early Wednesday morning was attended by Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar, federal minister Ghous Bux Khan Mahar, provincial ministers Mir Manzoor Ali Panhwar and Dr Suhrab Sarki representing the Mahar tribe; and Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi, Sardar Usman Almani, and Sardar Ajmal Almani representing the Almani tribe.
According to an agreement reached at the meeting, the Mahar tribe was fined Rs900,000 and the Almani tribe would have to pay Rs800,000. The Mahar tribe immediately paid Rs600,000 and promised to pay the remaining Rs300,000 in October. The Almani tribe paid Rs400,000 and promised to pay the remaining amount on Thursday.
The meeting heard the points of view of all participants and imposed a fine of Rs300,000 on the Mahar tribe for what it termed the forcible marriage of Shaista Almani with Balkhsher Mahar, Rs400,000 for the murder of two Almani tribesmen and Rs100,000 each for injuring Almani tribesmen and torching the houses in Lal Khan Almani village.
The meeting fined the Almani tribe Rs400,000 for kidnapping two women belonging to the Mahar tribe, Rs200,000 for killing Dilbar Mahar near Wallo Mahar near the Mathelo police checkpost, and Rs200,000 for injuring two Mahar tribesmen.
Later, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim read out the agreement. The meeting decided that the matter of Shaista Almani and Balkhsher Mahar would not be discussed by the Mahar and Almani communities.
The sources said that there was no outside interference during the meeting and the participants were told to switch off their mobiles phones during the deliberations. It was learnt that the people living in Ghotki district and other parts of the interior of Sindh, where Mahars and Almanis live, heaved a sigh of relief after hearing the news about the settlement.
JIRGA DENIED: A spokesman for the chief minister of Sindh on Wednesday denied reports appearing in a section of the press which suggested that a jirga had been held at the Chief Minister's House on Tuesday-Wednesday night.
A statement issued here on Wednesday and carried by the APP quoted the spokesman as saying that no jirga had been held at the CM House. "It is prerogative of the chief minister to meet people...or hold...meetings regarding development, betterment and welfare of any area of the province...he can also hold meetings about the law and order situation...at any time.
"Accordingly, the chief minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Tuesday night held a meeting to streamline and review the law and order situation prevailing in Ghotki district. The meeting was attended, among others, by district nazim of Ghotki Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar. The meeting took prompt decisions for the improvement of the law and order situation in the district."
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