HYDERABAD, April 3: The Badin chapter of the Shia Ulema Council on Tuesday accused the district police officer (DPO) of spearheading some extremists’ attempts to spread sectarian hatred in the district and appealed to the president, Sindh governor and the chief minister to take notice of the situation.

The council’s president, Maulana Jafar Hussain Badal, told a news conference at the press club that some youngsters burnt an effigy of the commander-in-chief of Yazeed’s army on the 9th of Rabiul Awal, but no Shia organisation took part.

However, Maulana Badal said, some miscreants spread a rumour that the effigy burnt was that of a figure highly esteemed in Muslim history.

He stressed that no Shia organisation was behind the incident, but the miscreants were using it to fan sectarian hatred in the district. An FIR had already been registered and out of seven accused, six had been nabbed, he said.

He said that a rally was staged in Talhar town after the incident, alleging that some police officers had taken part in the rally.

The hate campaign had spread to every village of the district and the Shias were receiving threats that their property, life and religious places would be harmed, he said.

Maulana Badal said that blaming an entire community for the misguided action of only a few boys was totally unjustified and accused the DPO of Badin, Abdul Hadi Billo, of spreading hatred.

He appealed to all the sects and religious organisations not to be misled by the conspiracies of anti-Islam forces and urged the president, Sindh governor, chief minister and senior police officials to take notice of the volatile situation and take necessary steps to maintain peace in the district.