SWABI, Oct 20: To avoid a clash between two groups over a mosque in the Jalsai Union Council, the local administration has locked the mosque preventing the locals from saying their prayers there.

The police officials said the mosque was locked on Saturday in order to avert any clash between the two groups, adding that the prayer leader of the mosque, Maulana Noor Mohammad, was accused of fanning hatred among the people.

One group is backed by the prayer leader, while the other is supported by the union council Nazim Mukhtiar advocate.

Chota Lahor Tehsil Nazim Haji Mohammad Amin, when contacted, told that the mosque had been closed as the prayer leader and the Nazim were political rivals. In the local government elections, the Nazim had been opposed by the prayer leader and in the recently held general elections the prayer leader backed the PPP (Sherpoa) candidate, while the Nazim campaigned for the PML (QA) candidate, said the Tehsil Nazim.

He said a three-member jirga had been formed to settle the dispute and to open the mosque. The jirga, he said, comprising Maulana Sahib Haq, Maulana Ghulam Haider and Maulana Gharibullah, held meetings with the rival groups but it failed to reconcile the groups.

He said despite the fact that the mosque was locked and no one was allowed to say prayer there, no FIR had been registered by the police.