Mirpur Bhutto Jirga Ends 14-Year Hostility
A Mirpur Bhutto jirga has ended a 14-year feud between five communities in the riverine area of Naudero, Sindh, imposing fines of Rs15.8 million on the two sides.
The jirga, a traditional council of community elders, settled disputes that had fuelled tit-for-tat attacks for about 14 years. It met on Monday evening, and both sides accepted its ruling before embracing each other.
The settlement brought relief across the Naudero riverine area, where thousands greeted each other over the expected end to bloodshed after years of feud violence.
Mirpur Bhutto jirga: how the settlement was reached
The jirga was jointly presided over by Amir Bakhsh Bhutto, Abid Jatoi, Pir Junaid Shah Rashidi, Muazzam Abbasi, Hussain Bakhsh Narejo, Pir Dinal Shah, Azhar Khan Kamario and heads of other communities.
The Bhutto, Kuriya and Narejo communities appeared for one side, and the Khokhar and Kharoos communities for the other. Consultants helped the community heads weigh arguments and reach decisions case by case.
After long consultations, the jirga fined the Bhutto, Kuriya and Narejo side Rs9.5 million and the Khokhar-Kharoos side Rs6.3 million, covering murders, injuries and property damage during the feud. It warned that a further Rs4 million fine would follow if either side broke the ruling.
One matter was left open. The Khokhar-Kharoos side disowned two murders, of Imamuddin Narejo and Azeem Kuriya, and the wounding of Sarwar Kuriya. The jirga kept it pending and bound both sides to provide the evidence.
Security was tight, and police escorted the elders and their advisers home afterwards.
Two more feuds settled in Qambar and Shikarpur
Another jirga in Qambar town settled a long-running dispute between the Chandio and Magsi communities, fining both sides and ordering them to stop further bloodshed.
The Magsi side was fined Rs8.3 million over the killing of Suleman Chandio and the wounding of two others two years ago in Qambar’s Ghausia locality. PPP MPA Burhan Khan Chandio chaired the jirga and found Ali Jan Magsi guilty. Both sides accepted the ruling; Rs500,000 was deposited at once, with the rest pledged in two instalments.
In Shikarpur, a jirga settled a six-year dispute between the Jeeha and Dahani communities that had claimed at least 26 lives. It was presided over by Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Kamario and MPA Mir Nadir Khan Magsi at Kamariyo House in Tarai village.
The Dahani community was ordered to pay Rs46.7 million for 13 murders and the death of a woman caught in crossfire. The Jeeha community was ordered to pay Rs40.2 million for the murder of nine people, including two women and a minor girl. Most of the violent incidents appeared to be related to honour, and the hostility had begun over a couple’s freewill marriage.
Why jirgas still settle disputes in Sindh
Jirgas have long settled disputes in parts of Sindh and the former tribal districts, where state courts can be slow and distant. Elders hear both sides, fix compensation as fines, and bind the parties to keep the peace.
That tradition is still visible today. Tribal elders and officials recently held settlement talks over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Gilgit-Baltistan boundary dispute, and the phased return of displaced families to Tirah was announced through a committee of tribal elders. In Sindh, political parties are still arguing over new provinces and local government.
The ruling will only hold if both sides keep to it, and the Rs4 million penalty for breaking it gives them a reason to do so. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has called for a political reset and unity across the country, and the scenes of rivals embracing showed what that looks like at village level.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the jirga meet?
In Mirpur Bhutto, in the riverine area of Naudero in Sindh, on Monday evening. The jirga settled disputes between five communities that had been in conflict for about 14 years.
How much were the communities fined?
The total was Rs15.8 million: Rs9.5 million on the Bhutto, Kuriya and Narejo side and Rs6.3 million on the Khokhar-Kharoos side. A further Rs4 million fine applies if either side breaks the ruling.
What disputes did the jirga settle?
It settled disputes involving murders, injuries and property damage over 14 years of tit-for-tat attacks. Two murders were disowned by one side and left pending.
Were other feuds settled at the same time?
Yes. A jirga in Qambar settled the Chandio-Magsi feud, and a jirga in Shikarpur settled a six-year dispute between the Jeeha and Dahani communities that had claimed at least 26 lives.
