Wedding crashers: Guests accuse madrassa students of using violence

Maulvi Tayyab, however, told a different story. “They were singing at the time of Isha prayers," he said.

GHOTKI:

Two people were injured in Dad Laghari, Ghotki on Sunday when seminary students allegedly attacked wedding guests for singing folk songs.

According to reports, women were singing a Sindhi folk song ‘Sehra’ when students from the nearby madrassa, led by Maulvi Tayyab Arain, attacked the guests with sticks and stones. Hadi Bux Malik and his son-in-law, Hajan Malik, were injured.

“It was my son’s engagement,” said Hadi Bux. “They asked us to stop singing and used abusive language for our women and children.”

Hadi Bux and relatives went to the police station for registering an FIR. The police, however, detained Hajan Malik and registered an NC against him on the complaint of Maulvi Tayyab, who also reached the station along with his students.

“The police did not listen to us,” Hadi Bux told The Sindh Express, adding that the students also used abusive language in the police station. “It was not the first time that these students attacked us. The whole city is afraid of them.”

Maulvi Tayyab, however, told a different story. “They were singing at the time of Isha prayers. We’ve told them before not to play drums or sing during prayers timings,” he told The Sindh Express. “We did not attack their home - we only asked that they stop singing and then registered a case at the police station.”

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Mian Abdul Rasheed, Ilyas Malik of the PPP (SB), Aajiz Gabol of the Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party, Nasrullah Kaladi of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz and others condemned the attack, saying that protests will be carried out against the use of violence by seminary students. They also demanded authorities to take action against police officials who allowed students into take law in their hands.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2012.