LAHORE, May 2: A mosque constructed in a park in the Lahore Development Authority’s Mustafa Town has become a source of sectarian clash as members of three sects lay claim to it.

Police locked the mosque in Mamdot Block on April 25 and referred the case to the area magistrate after three clashes between the warring sects and arrest of a dozen members from a sect.

SP Nizam Shahid Durrani says the district peace committee and police did try in vain to resolve the issue. He said the mosque had been locked for security reasons.

Two policemen have been deployed at the mosque to keep intact the “sealing” of the worship place reportedly built by followers of Deobandi school of thought.

Muddasir Hasan Gilani, a resident of the locality, says the controversy surfaced when area people asked Liaqat Ali Gill, a resident managing finance of the mosque, about the contribution they had made for the construction of the mosque.

He alleges that Mr Gill dragged Jamatud Daawa, a group representing Ahle Hadith sect, in the issue, saying that since he was “the only man” of Ahle Hadith in the locality, he was being persecuted.

Daawa men clashed with residents three times — in Nov 2002, on Sept 24, 2006 and on March 5, 2007 — to occupy the mosque, he alleges.

He says Sunni Tehrik activists approached the residents to help them fight the Daawa but the offer was rejected.

On March 5 last, Daawa men resorted to firing and tortured a number of worshippers. At least 17 Daawa men were taken into custody. They were challaned under anti-terrorism law but were bailed out later.

Mr Gilani admits that some Sunni Tehrik activists accompanied them to the Hanjerwal police station “for countering the pressure being put by Daawa (on police)”.

He said the residents would be the ultimate victims in case of any future armed clash between the two religious groups.

Police said the mosque was closed for two months after the Sept 24 clash. It was opened after the District Peace Committee led by Pir Ibrahim Sialvi intervened in and formed a four-man committee to run its affairs.

Later, the body was made more representative by excluding members of either the Daawa or the Tehrik and the mosque remained opened for 102 days.

In the meantime, efforts were made to strike an agreement between the “warring” sects but to no avail. These efforts included appointment of the prayer leader of the Sabzazar police station at the disputed mosque to resolve the issue.

Residents say they accepted the appointment but the police say they recorded a steep decline in the number of worshippers and ultimately the mosque was sealed again on April 25.