Six killed in sectarian clashes in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan authorities Sunday clamped curfew on a town following sectarian clashes between rival Sunni groups that left at least six people dead and 16 injured.

The clashes erupted Saturday when gunmen opened fire on a rally by the Brelvi sect of the Sunni Muslims to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Mohammad in Paharpur area of Dera Ismail Khan district.

Following the incident, the angry crowd of Brelvi Muslims attacked a seminary of a Deobandi sect of Sunni Muslims, ensuing gunfights that continued for hours.

Ihsan Ullah, a senior police officer, said four people died Saturday while two injured succumbed to their injuries Sunday morning. Sixteen more people were injured.

The authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in various parts of the district while the police and paramilitary troops were patrolling the streets.

The security forces have arrested around 100 members of both the groups.

The similar clashes between Brelvi and Deobandi Muslims occurred in Faisalabad, a metropolitan in the eastern Punjab province Saturday and continued by Sunday midday.

Six people were injured in the gun battles between the groups while the protesters set ablaze several vehicles and the building of a police station in Ghulam Muhammadabad area.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik held emergency meetings with the leaders of the rival Sunni sects in the southern city of Karachi as an effort to stop the violence spreading to other parts of the country.