Armed tribesmen take positions as lovebirds flee homes
JAMSHORO: The life of ordinary people residing in Khuda Abad, once a capital of Sindh, has become miserable as armed men of two tribes have taken positions in the area after a teenaged boy and a girl belonging to two separate villages left their homes for love marriage.
The couple has approached the Sindh High CourtÕs Hyderabad Circuit Bench for protection.
Khalida Chandio of the village of Muhammad Ibrahim Chandio and Ali Raza Panhwar of the village of Dhootera Panhwar left their homes a few days ago. The villages are situated near Khuda Abad.
Tension and scare gripped both the villages as many armed men of Chandio and Panhwar tribes have taken their positions in both villages. Despite extensive search by the Panhwar tribe, the couple has remained untraced.
After personal appearance of the couple before the SHC for seeking protection, tension escalated due to movement of armed men of both the tribes in the villages and vegetable and fruit shops and fish and meat markets and schools have closed out fear of clashes that may result in deaths.
KhalidaÕs maternal uncle Niaz Ahmed Chandio informed newsmen that the girl is minor and the boy has kidnapped her by misguiding her.
He also threatened that if efforts were not made to return their girl by the Panhwar tribe within 12 hours, then they would make a new plan in a Jirga of their tribe.
On the other hand, Panhwar tribe elders Haji Imam Din Panhwar and Babu Panhwar said they had given time to the Chandio tribe for bringing back their girl and they themselves were also busy in searching the couple. However, the Panhwar tribe showed concern that the couple had approached the SHC and now problems might occur for them owing to legal complications.
TPO Dadu Gul Muhammad Chachar told reporters that police are making efforts to recover the couple on a complaint of the girlÕs relatives. He expressed his ignorance about taking positions by the armed men and that life had been crippled in both the villages.
Ali Raza PanhwarÕs father Gulab Panhwar informed newsmen that they are trying to bring back the girl and do not want bloodshed. However, he appealed to higher authorities to take notice of expected armed clashes.
On Friday, hundreds of residents of the village of Dhootera Panhwar staged a demonstration against a police attack on their houses. They alleged that policemen barged into their houses and beat their children, old men and women and also took away their licensed weapons.
The elders of the Panhwar tribe warned that if they were treated like an accused party, ther responsibility for the deterioration of the situation would lie with the police.
Source: The News
Date:5/19/2007
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