KARACHI, Dec 7: The Qadeemi Masjid, near Jama Cloth Market in the Risala police limits, was once again sealed on Friday. The decision has been taken following a series of violent incidents, killing a man and leaving six injured, over its possession between two groups of different schools of thought on Thursday.

The mosque, which was re-opened on Thursday after more than two months, due to a tussle between Barelvi and Deobandi schools of thought, was sealed again by the area police to maintain law and order.

It still remains undecided as to how long the mosque will remain sealed. However, officials are of the view that it might take longer as the re-opening of the mosque is subjected to the law and order situation.

“We would decide it on Saturday,” said Captain (retd) Tahir Naveed, SP Saddar Town.

“We have, however, increased security measures near and around the mosque and no untoward incident was witnessed on Friday,” he said.

A Pesh Imam of another mosque belonging to the Deobandi school of thought was killed late on Thursday, a few hours after a violent clash between the two groups near the Qadeemi Masjid, in what police suspected to be a consequence of the same dispute.

Mohammad Ismail,40, was attacked by armed motorcyclists outside Tayyaba Masjid on Chand Bibi Road. Earlier, the area near the disputed Qadeemi Masjid came under heavy fire by four armed motorcyclists following a clash between the two rival groups.

“The Sindh government had handed over the possession of the mosque to the Deobandi school of thought after investigation the matter for more than two months,” said a Risala police station official.

“But the Barelvi group led by Sunni Tehreek didn’t accept the decision that later led to a violent clash between the two sides,” he said. Unknown miscreants also set on fire two coaches on M.A. Jinnah Road on Thursday before firing on both of the vehicles, which injured six passengers including a woman.

“We have registered an FIR (154/2007) under Section-302 of the Pakistan Penal Code for the murder of Pesh Imam Ismail,” said the Risala police official.

He said that two separate cases had also been registered against rioting and disturbance of law and order against unknown miscreants.

“The two FIRs (151/2007 and 152/2007) had been lodged under Sections 147, 148, and 149 for rioting with a deadly weapon. The sections also marked every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of (a) common object,” he added.

The official said that the PPC’s Sections 353 and 13-D had also been included in the charges brought against the unknown miscreants in the FIRs for assault to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty and possession of illegal weapons.