Six including police officer killed in tribal clash

NAWABSHAH: Five people of Bhand community and a police official were killed on Saturday in an armed attack by Zardari tribals due to a land dispute near Qazi Ahmad, a small town in district Shaheed Benazirabad.

After the deadly incident, the Shaheed Benazirabad Police arrested 16 armed persons Zardari tribe along with their weapons. SSP district Shaheed Benazirabad Ameer Saud Magsi, confirming the arrests of persons of Zardari tribe, told The News that in Qazi Ahmad, five persons of Bhand community and a sub-inspector, were killed over a land dispute and the police have arrested 16 persons of Zardari tribe along with the weapons. SSP Magsi pledged not to spare anyone involved in this incident and said all the culprits would be arrested and brought to justice.

Mohsin Zardari, said to be the relative of Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Zardari, told the media that members of the Bhand community were killed in an exchange of fire between them and the police and the Zardari tribe had nothing to do with the said killings.

Local sources informed The News that on Saturday, the armed persons of Zardari tribe, along with a heavy contingent of police in 20 vehicles, reached the disputed land of Bhand and Mallah community and tried to harvest the crop. However, when the locals offered resistance, they opened fire killing five members of the Bhand community and injuring ten others.

Earlier, in December 2021, the National Highway near Qazi Ahmed, Shaheed Benazirabad remained closed for two days due to the protest and sit-in by hundreds of members of Bhand and Mallah community, social activists and political workers over the illegal occupation of hundreds of acres of agricultural land allegedly by the armed Zardari tribals. The protesters ended their protest and sit-in after talks with the district administration and police on the condition that the land dispute would be decided in a jirga.

Later, a jirga was held on January 3, 2022 under the supervision of Sardar Manzoor Panhwar, who reserved his decision for the period of 15 days. But before the decision could be announced this tragic incident took place, claiming six precious lives.

Local sources said that the disputed land is highly fertile and belongs to Bhand, Mallah and other communities, but it was allegedly encroached by the Zardari tribals at the behest of the main leader of Sindh’s ruling party, as he wanted to develop hunting ground over there.

Meanwhile, the protests continued at the main National Highway near Qazi Ahmed and Qazi Abad in district Shaheed Benazirabad against the alleged illegal encroachment of some 800 acres of land of different communities by the ruling party leaders since Tuesday, which continued till the filing of the story on Saturday night.

Vice president of Sindh United Party Syed Zain Shah, Nationalist leader Roshan Buriro and other leaders joined the protest. The protesters claimed that 800 acres of survey land was encroached by the ruling party leaders with the support of local district police and their protest would continue till the end of illegal occupation. Roshan Buriro said if the police tried to disperse the protesters by force, the case would be registered against the police high-ups.

The scribe approached Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani, Senior Superintendent of Police Shaheed Benazirabad Amir Saud Magsi and Sherbaz Marri, spokesman of Zardari House, but till the filling of the story, all three avoided responding.