KARACHI: A young passerby was killed and five others, including a boy, were wounded when a clash erupted between two rival groups on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road on Wednesday evening, according to police and rescue services’ officials.

A Mobina Town police officer said that the clash took place near a mosque in Abbas Town. As a result, he added, one person lost his life and five others sustained injuries.The officer stated that one of them was rushed to the nearby Patel Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity could not be ascertained till late in the evening because he did not have a CNIC card in his pocket. A Chhipa spokesperson said that the deceased seemed to be aged around 30.

A senior police officer on condition of anonymity told Dawn that a Sabeel was installed near Ameer Muavia Masjid, affiliated with banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), on Abul Hasan Ispahani Road where Noha was being played on loudspeakers.

The officer said some SSP activists objected to it which led to a scuffle between them and some members of Shia sect at around 3:45pm. The situation aggravated when someone resorted to firing, wounding six persons.

The other wounded persons were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment.

They were identified as Shahrukh Hussain Jaferi, 23, his father Kamran Hussain Jaferi, 54, Mohsin Akmal, 12, Arsalan Zakir, 30, and Muaaz Madni, 41.

Later, SSP East Qamar Raza Jiskani in a statement said that the deceased man was a shopkeeper and his probable name was Mehboob.

The police have arrested a man, Irfan, from the clash site and suspected that he was involved in the firing. A case has been registered against him on behalf of the state on the complained lodged by a police officer. The FIR charged him with rioting, murder and attempted murder.

“The situation in the area has been brought under control,” the senior officer said.

The SSP said that both tracks of Abdul Hasan Ispahani Road had been cleared for movement of vehicular traffic.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2021