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CHAKWAL, Jan 23: A clash that the closing of a bazaar for a religious procession had sparked in Choa Syedan Shah on Saturday continued on Sunday, bringing more injuries and devastation to the town's people. Various sources said 17 people were injured and 35 shops and 20 vehicles burnt in the latest flare up that started after people gathered outside a mosque came under fire allegedly from their rivals standing on a hillock.
Both sides suffered injuries in the exchange of fire that followed and the injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, the sources said.Four of them were found in critical condition and were rushed to Rawalpindi.
They were identified as Malik Naveed, Waqas, Asadullah and Mohammad Rafeeq.
Other injured were Habeeb Khan, Malik Musarrat, Rizwan, Kashmir Khan, Faizan, Mohammad Sohail, Zafarullah, Ashraf, Muneer, Shehzad, Osman, Omer and Ikhlaq.Some elements also torched over 30 shops and 20 vehicles besides looting many shops.
Regional Police Officer Hamid Mukhatr Gondal and Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed reached the troubled city. The RPO ordered suspension of SHO Choa Syedan Shah Badar Muneer. The police arrested 50 persons on the charge of rioting. More than 200 persons were also booked. Extra contingents of police and Rangers were called out but they could not control the situation till late evening.
The clash started on Saturday when participants of a procession were attacked by a group of people. They were angry over the closure of the local bazaar for the passage of the procession.
They demanded registration of a case against the suspended SHO holding him responsible for the mayhem. They said never in the past the bazaar used to be closed during the procession nor did it come on the route of the procession.
