An illegal jirga decision in Daharki has sparked outrage after an influential local feudal was accused of ordering the punishment of minor girls under the outlawed vani practice, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Friday.
According to the report, a local resident, Abdul Hakeem Bhayo, told the media that an influential landlord, Shahnawaz Bhayo, convened a jirga after accusing his son, Waseem Bhayo, of having an illicit relationship.
The jirga reportedly imposed a fine of one million rupees and ordered that Bhayo’s underage daughters be handed over as vani, a customary practice declared illegal under Pakistani law.
Bhayo said that the allegation against his son was baseless, stating that the woman named in the accusation had already obtained a divorce from her husband and was currently residing with her mother in Larkana.
He stressed that his family had no connection with the woman.
Despite denying the charge, Bhayo said the jirga ordered the immediate handover of his daughters, who have been punished as vani.
Bhayo said that as the father of the girls, when he refused to comply with the illegal and inhuman verdict of the jirga, his family was forcibly expelled from the village.
He said the expulsion has left him homeless, wandering with his minor children and blind mother, and living under constant fear.
Bhayo appealed to senior authorities, including the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Sukkur and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Ghotki, to provide protection and ensure justice for them.
Human rights activists say jirga rulings involving vani and collective punishment remain a serious challenge to the rule of law, particularly in rural Sindh, despite repeated court rulings declaring such practices unconstitutional.
Daharki Tehsil is an administrative subdivision within Pakistan's Ghotki District, Sindh province, known for industry (fertiliser, oil/gas, textiles) and significant Muslim/Hindu populations, located on the N-5 highway near Sukkur.
Reporter: Jahangir Alam