RAWALPINDI: Funeral prayers for three people, who had been killed in Friday’s violence in Raja Bazaar, were offered at Liaquat Bagh on Sunday amid strict security provided by the army, police and other law-enforcement agencies.

The prayers were led by Maulana Samiul Haq, chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam.

Eminent religious scholars Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi, Darul Uloom Taleemul Quran’s Nazim Maulana Gohar Rehman, Hafiz Siddique, Wafaqul Madaris Pakistan Deputy Secretary Qari Abdul Rasheed, Maulana Hamidul Haq, Qari Ateequr Rehman, Abdul Hameed Hazarvi, Maulana Hanif Jalandhari, Maulana Fazalur Rehman Khalil and Maulana Zahoor attended the funeral.

In addition, seminary students from across the district and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attended the funeral prayers which were held at 4.55pm. The bodies were then sent to their native towns.

There was commotion on the stage when seminary students brought the coffins along with troops as many people were pushed down, and according to the police, at least 14,000 people attended the funeral.

While religious leaders were holding a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and demanding permission to hold the funeral prayers at Liaquat Bagh, people who wanted to attend the prayers entered small adjoining streets and tried to enter the premises.

However, their efforts were thwarted by troops deployed on the Benazir Bhutto Road.

Several Pushto speaking people gathered in front of the Liaquat Bagh in Arya Mohallah, Tipu Road and Marir Chowk, while the 2km long streets were packed with people. Some of them also chanted slogans against the other sect.

“We have come from Attock and our religious leaders have asked us to attend the funeral at any cost,” Amir Khan, a student, said. He said that he had arrived in the city by train and walked to the place with the help of local seminary students after passing through various localities.

A student from Jehangira, Abdul Rashid, said he and his 30 colleagues had come from a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During the meeting with the chief minister, religious leaders led by Maulana Sami obtained permission to hold funeral prayers at Liaquat Bagh.

According to an official, “the permission was given following the brief brawl witnessed between security personnel and people gathered in Arya Mohallah”.

“Troops fired rubber bullets to disperse them but in vain. Some seminary students also scuffled with them and appeared adamant to enter the premises.”

Rawalpindi Commissioner Khalid Masood Chaudhry said that the provincial government had given the permission on the condition that the religious leaders would “cool down the tempers of the charged people.”

“The partial relaxation was given only to those who wanted to attend the funeral from adjoining localities,” he said..

Addressing the participants of the funeral, Maulana Sami expressed deep sorrow over the clash and loss of lives. He said Rawalpindi had been a relatively peaceful city, but ‘enemies’ wanted to create unrest among Muslims.

He said a ‘third hand’ was involved in aggravating the law and order, adding that unity and tolerance were the need of the hour. He also praised the army and other agencies for restoring law and order. “The army and police are our own. We should respect them,” he said.

Maulana Sami appealed to the participants to remain peaceful and not damage public property, and requested the government to bring those behind Friday’s incident to justice.

Talking to reporters, Wafaqul Madaris Deputy Secretary Qari Abdul Rasheed said a committee had been constituted to ascertain the losses caused to Darul Uloom Taleemul Quran. He appealed to the chief minister to compensate the injured and the victims’ families.