August 16, 2026
By Ahmed Saeed
LAHORE
Villagers of Chak No.5 in the Golarchi tehsil claim that in yet another incident of collective punishment, 60 of their homes have been destroyed and demolished following a love marriage dispute between a Machhi man and a Kamboh community woman. The viillage is inhabited by members of the Machhi community, and its people say that hundreds of residents have been displaced.
But the Badin police say that these were mere allegations, which they rejected, describing the reports circulating on social media about the demolition, arson and looting of Machhi homes as ‘baseless and unfounded’.
The alleged incident followed the marriage of 20-year-old Alia Fatima Kamboh, a member of the Kamboh clan, to Nadeem Machhi of Chak No. 5. The couple reportedly appeared before the High Court and stated that they had married of their own free will.
In a video statement circulating on social media, Alia Fatima said she had married Nadeem voluntarily. She alleged that several members of her family, including Arifi, Khairu and Haq Nawaz, subsequently threatened her in-laws. She also alleged that the Machhi settlement was later attacked and ransacked, with houses demolished and belongings looted, including gold, motorcycles and clothing.
Ramzan Machhi, a resident of the affected settlement, told Voicepk that the attackers arrived with tractors and demolished houses within hours.
He claimed that around 60 houses were destroyed, leaving nearly 600 people without shelter. He said the displaced families included women, children and elderly people who were forced to remain exposed to the extreme heat.
Ramzan further alleged that police had failed to act despite the community submitting 12 applications seeking registration of cases against those responsible for the alleged attack.
He claimed that police were siding with influential members of the Kamboh community and had instead issued statements on social media against the Machhi community. According to Ramzan, 10 of the demolished houses had been constructed and handed over to residents under a Sindh government housing scheme.
Badin police, however, presented a completely different account.
In an official press release, police said claims that members of the Kamboh community had set fire to Machhi homes or looted their belongings had no factual basis. The statement said that members of the Machhi community had been living in makeshift shelters on government land in Chak No. 5 and had voluntarily vacated the area following the marriage and relocated elsewhere.
Speaking to Voicepk by phone, Badin Police Public Relations Officer Aziz Ahmed also denied reports that houses had been demolished or that around 600 people had been forcibly displaced.
He said the residents were farmers living in makeshift tents on government land and had moved to another location themselves after the marriage because they feared a possible confrontation.
Aziz described reports of arson and demolition as fabricated and said police had not received any formal complaint from members of the Machhi community seeking registration of an FIR over such an incident.
He added that any complaint submitted in the future would be investigated in accordance with the law.
So far no FIR has been registered in connection with the alleged demolition, while the reported figures for casualties, destroyed houses and displaced residents could not be independently verified.
The incident comes amid growing concern over violence and collective punishment allegedly linked to disputes arising from love marriages in rural Sindh.
In May 2026, a similar incident was reported in Muhammad Siddiq Arain village in Thal tehsil of Jacobabad district, where around 100 houses were reportedly burnt following a dispute involving a love marriage.