GUJRAT, Feb 23: The district management of Mandi Bahauddin is holding talks with the leaders of two religious sects over a dispute of taking out a procession during Muharram in Phalia.

Sources said the prevailing situation emerged when Ejaz Husain Naqvi filed an application with the district and sessions judge seeking permission for taking out a procession in Phalia during Muharram. The judge referred the case to the district police officer and the district management with a direction to take a decision.

During last Muharram, the Phalia police had registered a case under 16-MPO against Mr Naqvi and 15 others, the sources said. He was also asked to inform the area police and the district management about his movement.

The sources said in the first week of this month, Mr Naqvi distributed some pamphlets in Mandi Bahauddin that carried some provocative material. Now the DPO, the DCO and the district Nazim are unable to decide whether Mr Naqvi should be allowed to take out a procession.

On the other hand, some leaders of the Ahle Sunnat have been pressing the district administration not to allow Mr Naqvi to take out a procession. They have threatened that a law and order problem could if he was given a permission.

In this regard, a memorandum signed by some 65 activists of the Ahle Sunnat had been sent to the president, the prime minister, the Punjab governor, the chief minister, the district Nazim, the IG, the Gujranwala range DIG and the Mandi DPO, they claimed.

The sources said the law-enforcers and the district management had been conducing meetings for the last one week with some leaders of both the religious groups to find a peaceful solution to the issue.

Phalia SHO Nisar Shah told Dawn by telephone on Monday that the DPO had restrained Mr Naqvi from taking out any procession during Muharram. He claimed a foolproof security plan had been chalked out to avert any untoward incident during Muharram.