Turf wars: Three injured in armed clash over control of seminary

Gujjar said a police team had been deployed outside the seminary in the wake of the clash.

FAISALABAD:

A revenue official who sealed a seminary for girls after three people were injured in a shootout over its control has been suspended from service.

The seminary was sealed by Saddar Naib Tehsildar Rana Abid with over 200 female students still inside.

Sandal Bar Station House Officer Bar Chaudhary Abdul Majeed Gujjar told The Express Tribune that Abid and a contingent of the Elite Force sealed the seminary in Chak 57-JB Bara Ghiyala when they received information of an armed clash near the seminary.

He said members of the two groups had resorted to firing, injuring three persons, including two passersby. He said one of them was in a critical condition.

Shaukat Ali, an eyewitness, Abid had arrived on the scene and threw out the luggage of seminary teacher Hafiz Saifullah and sealed the seminary.

He said later, parents of the girls and other people from the village broke the gate of the seminary and rescued the girls inside.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Noorul Amin Mengal took notice of the incident and suspended Abid. He also sought an inquiry report and asked Additional Deputy Commissioner General Rao Ejaz Khalid to head the investigation.

The clash

Gujjar said the two groups had clashed over control of the seminary.

He said one group supported Saifullah who he had headed the seminary for three years. He said the other group wanted to recruit a fresh seminary administration.

He said no one from the two groups had approached the police with a formal complaint.

Gujjar said a police team had been deployed outside the seminary and patrolling around it had been increased in the wake of the clash.

He said both parties had agreed they would wait for the verdict of the peace committee constituted by the District Coordination Officer and CPO Ashraf Haider in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2014.