Six Family Members Killed in Tribal Feud Ambush Near Nawabshahd

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A deadly ambush near Nawabshah has left six members of the same family dead, highlighting once again the persistent lawlessness and tribal blood feuds that plague rural Sindh under a government that continues to overlook rising violence.

On Thursday morning, near Qainchi Pull Gujarwah in Nawabshah, six men from the Bhungwar community were gunned down in a brutal attack while traveling to court for a hearing tied to a ten-year-old murder case. The victims, all from the same extended family, were traveling by motorcycle when they were ambushed by gunmen. According to law enforcement officials, the attackers opened fire without warning, killing all six individuals on the spot before fleeing the scene.

Local police transported the bodies to the People’s Medical College and Hospital for autopsies. The deceased were later returned to their families for burial rites. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shabbir Sethar confirmed that the killings were the latest violent chapter in an ongoing tribal dispute within the Bhungwar community. He identified the victims as Shehbaz, Taj, Habdar, and Rajab Ali, sons of Ghulam Mustafa Bhungwar, as well as Qurban Ali and Farman Ali, sons of Shah Ali Bhungwar. All were residents of Goth Ishaq Bhungwar.

The incident underscores the failure of local and provincial authorities to curb the cycle of tribal retribution that continues to destabilize parts of Sindh. In areas like Nawabshah, where feuds and honor killings are disturbingly routine, state institutions appear either powerless or disinterested in restoring order and delivering justice.

Despite promises from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led government in Sindh, there has been little meaningful intervention to break these cycles of violence, particularly in regions where political patronage and tribal affiliations blur the lines between governance and complacency. The rule of law, it seems, remains secondary to preserving entrenched power structures.

This tragedy not only highlights the deep-seated issues within tribal communities but also raises questions about the broader inability, or unwillingness, of the current federal and provincial leadership to enforce security and justice for rural citizens. While the Bhungwar family mourns their dead, the larger community continues to live in fear, with no assurance of protection or legal redress.

In a nation grappling with economic and political instability, such localized violence may seem like a side issue. But for those living in areas long neglected by the central administration, these daily realities speak volumes about the state’s priorities, and who it chooses to protect.