HYDERABAD/SUKKUR: Kandhkot police claimed on Saturday to have launched a crackdown against outlaws operating in the district’s riverine area following murder of assistant professor Ajmal Sawand of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Sukkur a day before in a targeted attack allegedly by Sundrani tribesmen, who were rivals of the tribe he belonged to.

Police officials said they had razed several houses of Sundrani tribesmen, which were functioning as their hideouts. Sundranis and Sawands living in the riverine area of Kandhkot district have been at loggerheads with each other over ‘honour’ and the subsequent dispute has led to several deaths on both sides over the past few months.

Kandhkot-Kashmore SSP Irfan Samo confirmed the operation was moving ahead at full throttle in different parts of the riverine area in the district and police would not give up till the culprits involved in Prof Sawand’s murder surrendered. “We have taken actions in the village of Sardar Khan Sundrani, who was a relative of Sindh Assembly member Abid Sundrani,” said the SSP.

Police had destroyed outlaws’ houses in the Ghor Ghat area as the criminals had already fled after the professor’s murder, he claimed.

Prof Sawand sustained shots by 11 bullets as per medical reports cited by the SSP. Sawands had been in war with Sabzoi tribe in upper Sindh for several years and had settled in Sukkur a long time ago. Prof Sawand did not seek security from police when he travelled to his riverine village. “His brother asked him to accompany him but he didn’t agree to it and took it lightly. He was an educated man and never believed in tribal sensitivities,” said Samo.

“Sawand reached Kandhkot without intimating anyone and then left for his riverine village without informing police early on Thursday morning and subsequently he was ambushed by a dozen or so gunmen in the area of A-Section police station, Kandhkot,” he said. The SSP said the complainant Mohammad Ashraf Sawand, brother of Prof Sawand had nominated 12 men in the FIR who he believed were involved in the murder but they had fled their homes.

The suspects, who were mostly relatives of the alleged attackers included Aijaz Ali, Rano Sundrani, Bakhtyar Ali, Wahid Bux, Saifal, Ghulam Mustafa, Zahid, Mohammad Ali, Farman, Maindro Sundrani and Rahib.

He said that Sawand-Sundrani dispute started in the wake of an incident of honour killing in which a Sawand man killed some Sundrani tribesmen followed by killings of two Sawand tribesmen and then tit-for-tat murders of three Sudnrani tribesmen by Sawands.

The officer hoped the culprits would be arrested soon as raids were being conducted in the villages of Wahid Bux, Sardar Khan, Bahram Khan and Bakht Sundrani.

Govt doesn’t want to end tribal system: Palijo

Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo has said that hundreds of people are losing their lives in tribal clashes in upper Sindh’s Sukkur and Larkana divisions, which have been in the tight clasp of feudal lords but Sindh government does not want seriously to end this lawlessness as it is itself patronising the tribal system.

Palijo said in a statement issued here on Saturday that rising incidents of kidnapping for ransom had destroyed peace in Jacobabad, Ghotki and Kandhkot districts. This instability would provide an opportunity to anti-Pakistan forces to try to take its advantage, he said.

He said that Sindh’s ruler had only given it bloodbath, dacoits, corruption, tribal system, suicides, floods, price hike, lawlessness and narcotics. Bloody tribal feuds had become an identity of PPP government and since there was no rule of law hooliganism and lawlessness ruled the roost, he said.

He said that different tribes routinely carried out attacks on each other over petty issues causing deaths of dozens of people on all sides. Educational system in tribal land had suffered the most and the cure for the menace rested in education, enlightenment and accountability, he said.

IBA University holds reference

The Sukkur IBA University held on Saturday a condolence reference for its slain Assistant Professor Dr Ajmal Sawand, who was brutally murdered in Kandhkot.

The university’s vice chancellor, faculty and students demanded expeditious justice for Dr Sawand.

VC Prof Dr Asif Ahmed Shaikh said that all faculty members were deeply shocked and grieved by the brutal murder and would pursue the case at all forums of justice. “We are in contact with police and bereaved family and sincerely hope the culprits will be arrested soon,” he added.

Dr Sawand’s colleague Ghulam Nabi, who was working with him on SRSO projects at the university, recalled that Dr Sawand was a visionary person who always worked for the betterment of society by enabling youth in businesses and empowering women.

He said that Dr Sawand taught over 1000 poor student freelance courses and enabled them to earn online as freelancers. Dr Sawand faced many obstacles in his journey but he kept moving towards his goals, inspiring those around him, he said.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2023