Sahiwal: An armed clash between two political rival groups in a mosque in 97/12-l of Chichawatni Tehsil left eight people injured, including a worker, a passenger woman and three worshipers, after Friday’s prayers.
The town, 97/12-l, has a significant presence of the raja clan, with a faction directed by Raja Iqbal that supports the PTI and the other led by Raja Uur Talib that supports the PML-N. The political rivalry between these groups has long been a source of tension in the village.
Eye witnesses say that before Jumma’s sentences, he replied heated words between Raja Anjum Iqbal and Raja Uur Talib. At the end of the sentences, Anjum Iqbal and Najam Iqbal left the mosque, returning with firearms. They opened fire to Uume Talib and Usman Talib, which offered additional sentences.
Upon hearing the shots, Raja Iqbal, father of Uumer and Usman reached the scene and provided weapons to their children, following a crossfire between the two groups.
Eight left injured in armed shock
The indiscriminate shot forced many worshipers to flee from the mosque, and some sought refuge behind their pillars and in bathrooms. Approximately 200-250 people were present in the mosque when the shot exploded.
During the shot that lasted 15-20 minutes, several people were injured, including Anjum Iqbal (30), Najam Iqbal (34), Raja Uur Talib (28) and three worshipers, Yasir Zaib (50), Saqib Saeed (40) and Arslan Aslem. A worker, Shahzad (25) and a woman, Nasreen, wife of Raja Iqbal, who passed through the mosque, were also run over by bullets.
Najam Iqbal was later transferred to the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital due to his critical condition. The eyewitnesses said that despite the requests of the faithful and the leader of the prayer, both groups continued to shoot until their ammunition was exhausted.
When informed, Okanwala Bangla police arrived at the scene and controlled the situation. The injured people were transported to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Chichawatni, by rescue teams 1122.
Chchawatni DSP Taseer Riaz said Sunrise That police arrested two suspects involved in the shot.
He said that the images of the CCTV cameras installed in the mosque would help determine what part the violence began.
Until the presentation of this report, no FIR was recorded, since both groups insisted on being the plaintiff against the other.
Sprier research Mr. Akhter said both parties would be reserved under section 7 of the Anti -Terror Law (ATA) for violating the holiness of a place of worship.
Posted in Dawn, March 29, 2025
