Turf war: One killed, three injured in firing over mosque control

FIR registered against 90 named and 154 unidentified men.

MUZAFFARGARH:

Ninety named and 154 unidentified people have been accused in a shooting incident over the control of a mosque in a Shah Jamal village of Muzaffargarh.

Saddar police said only one man, named Hafiz, had so far been arrested in connection with the incident that left one killed and three injured. The deceased was identified as Jaan Muhammad and the injured as Subhan, Basheer Ahmed and Iqbal. The injured were taken to Muzaffargarh district headquarters (DHQ) hospital where doctors described their condition as out of danger. The doctors said the injured would likely be discharged in two days.

Earlier on Sunday, a panchayat organised in the area on Sunday morning had decided that Barelvis be allowed to continue looking after the affairs of the mosque, with Deobandis allowed to visit and pray but not to interfere in the management.

The panachayat had consisted of two Barelvis and two Deobandi and an elderly from a neighbouring village.

The Barelvis were represented by Muhammad Hussain, the prayer leader at the mosque, and Iqbal, later injured in the firing. Mustafa, son of Hafiz and the owner of 50 of the 70-marlas on which mosque is constructed,   and Rana Nadeem represented the Deobandis.

Talking to The Express Tribune Hussain, said that the mosque had been overseen by Barelvis since its construction 30 years ago. He said the 50-marla plot was originally owned by one Rana Aslam. He said the ownership of the plot was transferred in Mustafa’s name whose family later gave it for construction of the mosque. He said a 20-marla plot was later bought and the mosque extended. He said most of the people living in Shah Jamal were of Barelvi sect. He said out of the 86 villages in the area Deobandis formed a majority in no more two or three.

He said the quarrel over the control had started with the arrival of a few Deobandis headed by Rana Nadeem in the village over a week ago. He said Nadeem had allegedly persuaded Mustafa to take control of the mosque away from the Barelvis.  He said the Deobandis had attacked Barelvis even though they had agreed during pancahayat to leave the control of the mosque with the Barelvis.

Mustafa had told the Tribune on Sunday, before the firing incident, that his family had not agreed to barelvis’ controlling the mosque when they permitted the construction 30 years ago.

He said he had been contesting a court case for the control of the mosque against the current management for about seven years.

Muzaffargarh DPO Rao Munir has visited the Mulaan Wala village and ordered that the mosque be sealed until the resolution of the dispute.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2011.