KARACHI, Feb 14: Police had to intervene to avert an ugly situation late on Saturday night when a group of worshippers from a mosque, armed with clubs and sticks, surrounded the crowd at a concert in Defence Society.

The Gizri police said the worshippers forced the organisers to cancel the concert at Nisar Shaheed Park as, according to them, it broke their concentration during prayers.

They complained that repeated requests before Asr and Maghrib prayers for lowering the volume made no impression on the organisers, forcing them to step in.

Ghaffar Jumani, SHO, told Dawn that the concert was held with the permission of the Defence Housing Authority.

However, Clifton SP Ashfaq Alam said the organisers had not obtained any permission. “The police have no intimation if the organisers had any permission.”

He said that a group of 30 to 40 slogan-chanting worshippers besieged the park, calling for cancellation of the programme.

The official said that police persuaded the organizers, spectators and the protesters to leave the place, averting an unpleasant scene.