KHAIRPUR: Three men were killed and nine others wounded in an armed clash between two religious groups here on Thursday. The incident took place in the Jani Buriro police post area of the Kot Diji police station.

The dead were identified as Latif Dino, 40, Mushtaq, 55, and Zulfiqar, 28, all Buriro by caste and belonging to the same group. Six wounded persons, also belonging to the Buriro community, were identified as Qurban Ali, Sulaiman, Noor Mohammad, Inayat, Kashmir and Dodo. The other three wounded were identified as Imtiaz, Ghulam Shabbir and Shahabuddin, all Dharejo by caste and belonging to the rival religious group.

After the incident, the dead and the injured were moved to the Civil Hospital, Khairpur. After fulfilling medico-legal formalities, the dead were handed over to their families and the injured persons belonging to both groups were admitted for treatment to the Civil Hospital, Khairpur, in separate wards. Police have taken control of the area to maintain law and order. Following the incident, the markets, bazaars and other trade centres in Khairpur were shuttered and most citizens stayed indoors because of the fear caused by the shooting.

According to sources in the district administration, no religious group had permission to take out a rally in the city on Thursday (the eve of Eid-i-Miladun Nabi [PBUH]).

After receiving the bodies, members of the victims’ community staged a protest demonstration at Mariam Taup Chowk near the SSP’s office in the city.

The clash disrupted vehicular traffic and caused snarl-ups on both sides of the road for hours.

The protesters condemned the incident and demanded arrest of the killers. The protesters’ representatives told media persons that the district administration of Khairpur had talked to them and ensured that the suspected attackers would be arrested.

Khairpur district council chairman Shaharyar Wassan expressed concern over the incident. He said the people should live in peace and harmony.

The main bazaars and markets in Khairpur remained closed till night as fear had gripped the area.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2017