June 19, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 03, 1428

FAISALABAD, June 18: At least 10 people including two women were injured on Monday in a clash between two groups at Chak 243-RB in Dijkot police precincts. Reports said Christian residents of the village wanted to organise a ceremony in front of the local Church. As they were setting up stage for the ceremony, about 30 people, led by Irshad Fouji and Abdul Jabbar, arrived there and allegedly tried to stop them.

As the organisers refused to cancel the ceremony, the intruders got infuriated and started thrashing them. They also pelted them with stones, leaving 10 people injured.

The injured, Bela Bibi, Shehbaz, Gulzaran Bibi, Imran, Shamoon, Arif, Nazeer, Maqsood and Ijaz Maseeh, were admitted to the Allied Hospital.

Apprehending any untoward incident, many Christians living in the area left their homes for safe places.

Police sources, confirming the clash reports, termed it a routine brawl. They said some Christians had approached the police for case registration but later they did not turn up. No case had so far been registered.

A minority member of the district assembly, Alfonas Sahotra, told Dawn that he along with some other members of the community would approach the district nazim and police high-ups for case registration as local police was reluctant to accommodate the `victims’ view.

He said the police had been trying to suppress complainants’ voice instead of registering a case against the `culprits’.

UC 140 nazim Badar Munir who is accused of provoking and patronising the attackers denied the allegations, saying the whole incident was nothing but a cock and bull story.

He could not answer queries pertaining to the injured people and reasons behind postponement of the church ceremony.

A Christian resident of the village whose family members were also injured in the attack alleged that the UC nazim had influenced the police and did not let them register the case. He said the nazim also approached the Allied Hospital doctors concerned to influence medico-legal reports of the injured.