SARGODHA, March 12: More than a dozen people sustained injuries in a sectarian clash in Miani near Bhera, 70km from here, on Wednesday afternoon.

Police reached the spot and controlled the situation by baton charging and using tear gas, an official told Dawn.

He said about 150 people after attending a Majlis-i-Aza at the house of Mumtaz Shah at Mohallah Qazian were going to the house of Riaz Shah to take meal. While passing through the street, they started beating their chests. They were stopped by traders’ leader Gulzar Husain and Rana Sarwar on the pretext that they have no permission to bring out a procession. They exchanged hot words and reportedly someone from the house of a Shia fired a shot in the air and hurled bricks at the shops of the two. Later, an announcement from a mosque about the attack on Sunnis brought the followers of the two sects on to the streets. They hurled bricks at each other and fired shots in the air.

A police contingent accompanied by Elite Force reached the spot in no time. Senior police officials and the Bhalwal tehsil Nazim also reached there to broker peace among them. Later, range police DIG reached the place.

Tension was still prevailing in the locality, he added.

Meanwhile, Miani police registered cases and arrested about a dozen people each from both the sects after failing to mediate between them. The FIR has been sealed and police were reluctant to disclose any fact.

It is learnt that army has been called out to help the civil administration to maintain peace. Army troops organized flag march in the city.