A clash erupted when a 25th Muharram procession, from Hussaini Mission Imambargah, was passing Jamia Farooqia, ending in the death of one of the students and injuries to five others.
The Deoband scholars also warned the government of dire consequences if the culprits were not arrested, at a press conference on Friday.
The chief administrator of Jamia Farooqia, Maulana Abeedullah Khalid, alleged that the incident was not a clash between two rival religious groups but an attack on the innocent students of the madrassas with the support of the government.
Khalid said that the law-enforcement agencies were silent spectators during the whole incident. “Hafiz Ahmed Qamar, another student, was kidnapped and tortured to death in their presence,” he said. “Five others were also injured in the attack.”
According to him, the government had signed a pact with Hussaini Mission Imambargah in 2004 for peace in the area. “It remained unbroken for the last seven years but this clash occurred on 25th Muharram,” said Khalid. He demanded a judicial inquiry of the incident and the arrest of the attackers.
The administrator said that he did not want violence to cloud over the peaceful environment. “The people nominated in the FIR should be arrested immediately and the hands behind the incident should be exposed,” he warned. “Otherwise we will not only hold protests but will also be forced to breach laws for our protection.”
Qari Muhammad Usman, of Jamiat Ulema-e Islam-Fazal, said that such incidents were a conspiracy to trigger sectarian violence in the city. “We held a protest today but will take firm steps in the future,” he said.
Mufti Muhammad Naeem of Jamia Binoria, Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and other religious scholars were also present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2011.
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