Landhi’s 36-B area tense as bid to occupy land for mosque turns deadly

One killed, five hurt as Shia and Sunni groups clash

Karachi

Violent fighting between two groups representing their sects on Wednesday left the residents of the 36-B locality of Landhi in a state of panic.

A young man, named Muhammad Abbas, belonging to the Shia sect, was killed and five others severely injured in the clash.

According to residents and police officials, the fighting started when the management of the Asna Ashari mosque tried to construct an illegal wall for a parking lot in the ground of Asif Boy School.

“Local residents and Sunni leaders of the area resisted and it caused a violent fighting between two groups,” said a senior police official at Landhi Police Station.

Residents said both groups had been fighting over the issue since 1972 and the last fight occurred in 2011. However, this time the clash became violent and both groups used weapons freely. 

A resident, Hakeem Ikram, had filed a case in a court against the mosque to protect the ground from occupation, they said. 

“On Wednesday night, we could not sleep because of severe firing and then shelling by law enforcement agencies to calm down the situation,” said Muhammad Moazzam, a resident of 36-B.

A heavy contingent of police and Rangers reached the area and a road was temporarily closed to traffic, residents said. They picked up several suspects from the nieghbourhood in the wee hours of Thursday and shifted them to an undisclosed location. 

Residents later organised a protest outside Landhi Police Station and forced police to declare the detainees arrested.

Shia leaders in the nieghbourhood claimed that members of a rival banned group exploited the situation and torched properties of some Shias in the area.

The Shia Ulema Council (SUC), in a press conference on Thursday, condemned the killing of Abbas and attacks on the Shia community in the 36-B area.

Allama Shabbir Hasan Meesami, in charge of the SUC’s central political cell, along with other leaders, said some forces wanted to give the 36-B incident a sectarian colour.

“The Asna Ashari mosque is not controversial and it has been functional since 1972, where prayers have been organised regularly since then,” Meesami said. “In the Shia sect, to pray on illegal land is prohibited.”

The Shia leaders alleged that a group, with the support of a particular political party, wanted to occupy the land adjacent to the mosque. “They have neither the documents of the land nor support of the residents of the neighborhood,” Meesami maintained.  

On the other hand, a leader the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat (ASWJ) in Landhi said the group had nothing to do with the 36-B incident. “It is an issue between local residents and the Shia mosque over the illegally occupation of the playground,” he said. “There are mere 40 houses of Shia families in the area, who want to expand the mosque on the government land.”