MIRPURKHAS, Jan 11: A complete strike was observed here on Sunday in protest against some remarks made at a religious gathering on Saturday night.

The call for protest was given by the Ulema Action Committee which rejected a perception that the remarks had been made in the context of the Sunni-Shia rivalry and blamed some irresponsible elements.

Police and Rangers were deployed at all roundabouts and in sensitive areas of the city.

The remarks were allegedly made during a speech at a majlis and a large number of people gathered outside the place.

Heavy contingents of police headed by District Police Officer Muneer Ahmed Shaikh reached the area after some elements fired in the air in different parts of the city and set on fire two motorcycles, a car and three shops on the M.A Jinnah Road.

When the crowd refused to disperse till late into night, the DPO sought ulema’s help in keeping peace and persuading the protesters to disperse.

He assured the protesters that a case would be registered and people responsible for the incident would be arrested.

The mob dispersed after the law-enforcement personnel fired teargas shells and fired in the air. Two people were injured and they were taken to Mirpurkhas Civil Hospital.

On Sunday, one Hafiz Attaullah Shaikh lodged an FIR at the Town police station against Ibrahim Hussain Abidi, Asad Naqvi and Sagheer Naqvi; and one Tanveer Hussain Naqvi lodged a case against Attaullah Shaikh, Nadeem and 12 others.

Mirpurkhas DCO Ghulam Hussain Memon and DPO Muneer Shaikh held a meeting with members of the Ulema Action Committee including, Maulana Hafeezur Rehman Faiz, Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Karnalvi, Hafiz Akbar Rashid, and sought their help to maintain peace.

The ulema pledged to cooperate with the administration.

Our Larkana correspondent adds: Tension gripped the city after four people suffered injuries in a clash between followers of rival sects on Sunday.

According to eyewitnesses, a group of people came in buses from Qambar and Shahdadkot towns, assembled at the Pakistan Chowk and began raising slogans against their rival sect.

People belonging to the other sect also gathered there and the two sides started pelting each other with stones. In the meantime, someone started firing in the air. All markets were immediately closed.

District Police Officer Irfan Baloch reached the area with a heavy contingent of police and Rangers. Police fired tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

Police said that four people were injured and they were taken to the casualty ward of the Chandka Medical College Hospital. But they escaped to avoid arrest.

Police persuaded another group of people who were demanding registration of a case against their rivals to end protest.

District Police Officer Irfan Baloch said that normality had returned to the city in the evening and assured that the FIR would be registered against the elements who had instigated the trouble.

Market police, afterwards have registered FIR against 200 people on a compliant lodged by Syed Mehtab Shah.