KARACHI, June 22: A Pesh Imam was shot at and injured in Buffer Zone on Sunday over the control of a mosque.

Police and rangers intervened and sealed off the mosque and a police posse has been deployed to prevent further violence.

Sources in the law enforcement agencies said that Al-Bat’ha Masjid and the adjoining Madressah Taleemul Quran in sector 15-A-1, Buffer Zone, was established by Maulana Masood Azhar of Khuddamul Islam.

A breakaway faction of Khuddamul Islam later took over the mosque and expelled the Maulana and his group from the executive committee running the mosque’s affairs.

On Sunday, a group came to the mosque and tried to regain its control. During the ensuing violence, Hafiz Mohammad Asif sustained bullet injury in his hand and rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Three vehicles were damaged during the violence.

Many people had assembled outside the mosque where a free-for-all was under way. The rangers took away Mufti Abdur Rehman and his associates to the office of Sachal Rangers.

Sources said the detainees were let off after they submitted an undertaking that they would not create such a law and order situation in future.

No case was registered at the area police station till late Sunday, the police said.