A Kotri court clashes JIT has been formed to probe a series of violent incidents between two rival groups of litigants after they attended court proceedings at Kotri’s Judicial Complex on Friday, October 30. One man was killed and three others were wounded in the violence.
The groups, one side belonging to the Burfat community and the other to the Barejo community, had engaged in a heated argument after the hearing, which was followed by scuffles. The situation turned worse when firearms were used by some of them.
Dilsher, son of Jaffar Burfat, died in the violence. Three others, Qasim, son of Gul Hassan, Ayaz, son of Ali Mohammad, and Asif, son of Ali Akbar, were wounded and shifted to the Liaquat University Hospital in Hyderabad. Another person, Azeem Barejo, who was injured during the scuffle, was taken to the Liaquat University Hospital in Jamshoro by his brother, Dhani Bakhsh, who had proceeded to the court after hearing about the scuffle.
Azeem and Sharif were arrested soon after the episode for allegedly killing Dilsher Burfat.
Kotri court clashes JIT to report to Jamshoro SSP daily
The JIT, formed by the Jamshoro senior superintendent of police, is headed by the sub-divisional police officer of Kotri, Dawn reported. Its members include the station house officers of the Kotri, A-Section and B-Section police stations and four other police officers.
It will investigate the charges in FIR No. 484/26, registered under Sections 302, 324, 147, 148, 149, 504, 506 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Kotri police station. The team is supposed to collect material and circumstantial evidence and submit its reports to the Jamshoro SSP on a daily basis.
The FIR was lodged against Dhani Bakhsh, his son Sarmad and brothers Azeem, Aslam, Sharif and Ismail. Dhani Bakhsh, Azeem and Ismail work as reporters for different media organisations, a detail that has drawn the attention of journalist bodies to the case.
Land dispute behind the clash
The dispute concerned ownership of plots in Yousuf Baloch village, in the Hari Camp area of Kotri near the shrine of Baba Salahuddin.
The hearing concerned pre-arrest bail applications filed by Azeem, his brother Sharif and their nephew Sarmad. The court confirmed bail for Azeem and Sharif, but dismissed Sarmad’s application. Sarmad had escaped arrest.
The two sides had earlier lodged FIRs against each other, which suggests the land dispute has been running for some time.
Journalists demand judicial inquiry
The case has drawn a response from journalists in Hyderabad. On November 5, the Hyderabad Union of Journalists organised a protest rally from the Old Campus to the Hyderabad Press Club over what it described as retaliatory action against the Barejo journalist family in Kotri.
The protesters demanded that the cases registered against the journalist brothers, which they termed fabricated, be withdrawn, and that the allegations against them be investigated independently. They also demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing of Dilsher Burfat, calling for an impartial investigation to establish the circumstances and determine individual responsibility.
The JIT now carries the task of settling the facts. It must establish who fired the shots, how the argument turned into a killing, and whether the police response after the court hearing was adequate. Its daily reports to the Jamshoro SSP will show whether the investigation moves quickly or stalls.
Sindh has seen other strains on its police and courts this year. In Karachi, a station house officer was suspended after an audio clip surfaced in which he was allegedly heard apologising to a known drug dealer, while police data shows 197 suspects were killed in alleged encounters in the city in the first ten months of 2026. The province has also declared Tharparkar a drought-hit district as crops failed.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in Kotri on October 30?
Two rival groups of litigants, from the Burfat and Barejo communities, clashed after a court hearing at Kotri’s Judicial Complex. An argument turned into scuffles and then firing. Dilsher Burfat was killed and three others were wounded.
Who is investigating the case?
A joint investigation team formed by the Jamshoro SSP is investigating. It is headed by the SDPO Kotri and includes the SHOs of Kotri, A-Section and B-Section police stations and four other officers. It will report to the Jamshoro SSP daily.
What is the case about?
The dispute concerns ownership of plots of land in Yousuf Baloch village, in the Hari Camp area of Kotri near the shrine of Baba Salahuddin. The court hearing was about pre-arrest bail applications filed by Azeem, Sharif and Sarmad.
Why are journalists involved?
Three of the men named in the FIR, Dhani Bakhsh, Azeem and Ismail, work as reporters for media organisations. Journalists in Hyderabad protested on November 5, demanding a judicial inquiry into the killing and the withdrawal of cases they called fabricated.
