GUJRAT: Some unidentified miscreants torched a shrine and a number of copies of the Holy Quran in Bawoli Khurd village of Sara-i-Alamgir Saddar police precincts, some 65km from here, early on Friday morning.

However, a prompt action by the local administration, police and a ruling party MPA averted any violent reaction.

The area people spotted smoke billowing from the shrine of Meray Wali Sarkar when they got up to offer Fajr prayers.

Police reached the spot after getting the report.

Local PML-N MPA Malik Hanif Awan, Gujrat DPO Rai Zameerul Haq and additional SP Kamran Mumtaz also reached there and inspected the site.

Gujrat DCO Liaqat Ali Chattha and Sara-i-Alamgir Assistant Commissioner Shoaib Nissoana also rushed to the village where the official team negotiated with the locals and assured them of tracing the culprits at the earliest. Police registered a case against unidentified miscreants under sections 295, 295 (B) and 436 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the report of Shaukat lumberdar of the village and started investigation.

A senior police official told Dawn that the crime scene unit had got finger prints from the scene whereas call data through geofencing of the area was also being worked out to trace the culprits. He said the act was apparently aimed at sabotaging the peaceful environment of the Gujrat district.

He said the Jhelum incident had occurred last Friday and the miscreants selected another Friday to instigate the local population. He said law-enforcement authorities were looking into the all angles, including the possible involvement of some foreign agency.

Later in the afternoon an emergency meeting of the district peace committee was held at the district government complex with the Gujrat DCO in the chair where participants, including clerics of various sects, traders, lawmakers, lawyers and media personnel, assured the administration and police of their cooperation in keeping the law and order under control.

An emergency meeting of the district intelligence committee was also held at the district council rest house to review various aspects of the incident.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2015