Peace accord ends 11-year feud among five clans in Mianwali

MIANWALI: A long-running feud among five major clans in Mianwali district was formally settled on Sunday during a reconciliation ceremony that brought rival families together after years of deadly violence.

The agreement resolved a dispute involving the Kundi, Kalo, Bikhan Khel, Hazara Khel and Yaro Khel clans. According to details reported from the district, the conflict had continued for 11 years, causing 11 deaths and leaving nine others injured in a series of murder and attempted murder cases.

The first major episode linked to the feud took place in 2015 in the jurisdiction of Wan Bhachran Police Station. In that incident, two brothers from the Yaro Khel clan, Ashraf Khan and Asghar Khan, were killed along with their associates Muhammad Zaman Hazara Khel and Sher Abbas Bhatti. Muhammad Latif of the Kalo clan also died in the violence.

Another major attack followed in 2018 in the area of City Police Station, Mianwali, when members of the Kalo and Kundi clans were ambushed while travelling to attend a court hearing. The attack left Abdul Waheed Kalo, Muhammad Mehran Kundi and Muhammad Nauman Kundi dead, along with two passers-by. The last major incident cited in connection with the feud occurred in 2019 near Qaidabad, where Ashraf Khan Bikhan Khel was shot dead.

Efforts to end the hostility were led by local social figures and peace activists, including Mian Riaz Miana, Shaukat Khan, Sibtain Khan and Inspector Irfan Gujar, who helped facilitate dialogue and confidence-building between the rival sides.

The reconciliation ceremony was held at Noor Market in Mianwali. Among those in attendance were Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, former MNA Amjad Ali Khan, former Punjab Assembly speaker Sibtain Khan, former MPAs Malik Feroze Joiya and Amanat Shadi Khel, and Nawabzada Amir Muhammad Khan of Kalabagh, along with other local notables.

During the event, members of the rival clans embraced one another, marking the formal end of the enmity. Addressing the gathering, the Punjab governor praised the initiative and described reconciliation as the way forward for stability and social harmony. Special prayers were also offered for lasting peace.

In a key development during the ceremony, Akram Khan announced that he was waiving the Rs12 million qisas settlement and forgave the opposing side for the sake of Allah. Community leaders said the accord was not only the settlement of an old dispute but also an important step to shield future generations from a cycle of hatred, revenge and violence that had affected the families for more than a decade.