MM News

NAWABSHAH: A protest is being held on the National Highway since Sunday over the killing of five tribesmen during a clash over a land dispute in the riverine area of Qazi Ahmed.

Six people, including a policeman, were killed as the Bhand and Zardari clans clashed over ownership of 800-acres land. Senior Superintendent Police said at least 16 armed suspects have been arrested and a large cache of weapons has been recovered.

Bhand community has refused to bury their dead until members of the Zardari clan who allegedly them in the armed attack. The protestors chanted slogans against the police and demanded to arrest the suspects involved in the killing and provide justice.

Bhand community alleged that Mohsin Zardari and Abid Zardari were staking their claim on the agricultural land in Deh Bhambhai, Benazirabad district. They demanded the recovery of Ghulam Hyder Bhand and Mahmood Mahar whose whereabouts had remained unknown and said possession of the land should be handed over to them or the bodies will not be buried.

The protesters have been ongoing for two days near Nawab Wali Mohammad town, 15 kilometres from Qazi Ahmed. They were led by Sindh United Party (SUP) secretary general Syed Zain Shah and were joined by several nationalist organisation and civil society activists to express solidarity with the demonstrators.

Syed Zain Shah, while addressing the protesters, said similar protests would be staged across Sindh on Monday to press for immediate arrest of the culprits and if the demands were not met then a shutdown strike would be observed on Tuesday. Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party (STP) chairman Dr Qadir Magsi called for Sindh-wide strike on Feb 15.

On Saturday, at least six people and a policeman were killed in a clash between two rival groups of Zardari and Bhund tibal opened fire at each other over a land dispute. Police said the rival tribes opened fire at each other with heavy weapons that resulted in the killing of Station House Officer Mirzapur Abdul Hameed Khoso and five other men.

The dispute

The land measuring around 800 acres was owned by Bhand, Sangra and Mahar communities. Zardaris claimed to own close to 400 acres but Bhands dispute their claim, saying the documents were forged.

The land was owned by Legharis in the past but it was allotted to Bhands under land reforms introduced during Gen Ayub’s government. The land was leased during Nawaz Sharif’s government A large tract of land has also been occupied by Zardaris. After last year’s protests, the district administration had intervened and settled them in their homes inside the riverine area.

Former Sindh minister Manzoor Panhwar led a jirga on January 5 and decided the land would be maintained by mukhtiarkar till the jirga announced its verdict. The documents produced by Zardaris were to be verified before announcing the verdict.

Bhands moved Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench jirga’s decision would not be implemented. Police delayed registering a report after the Bhand community insisted on nominating some important Zardari clansmen.