FAISALABAD-As many as 12 persons including a teenager and former tehsil nazim sustained critical gunshot wounds in an armed clash between two groups in Tandlianwala, some 40 km from here on Monday.
The police source informed that Tandlianwala vegetable market president Mian Ziaul Haq and his brother Mian Anwarul Haq had got injured in clash over a property dispute between MPA group being backed by Jaffar Ali Hocha and chairman group.
The source said that the clash between the two groups occurred over a petrol pump and residential society. On Monday, traders took out a protest rally to condemn the incident which had left their president and his brother injured.
Meanwhile the protesters reached Mahi Chowk Tandlianwala when affiliates of the MPA group were attempting to get shops opened. Activists of both the rival groups came face-to-face with each other. The situation turned ugly when some activists of both the MPA and Chairman groups indulged in crossfire. Resultantly, 12 persons sustained gunshot wounds. The injured included 13-year-old Shahzad, former tehsil nazim Saheer Dawood Butt, Malik Raja, Rana Shahzad, Muhammad Ahsan, Muhammad Iqbal, Nawaz and others.
The injured were rushed to hospital where their condition is stated to be stable.
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and sought a report on the incident from the police.
The police, however, have started investigation into the armed clash.
On the other hand, families of the injured persons and traders of Tandlianwla later staged a sit-in on Tandlianwala-Okara Road against the incident, blocking the road for hours. They chanted slogans against MPA Jaffar Ali Hocha and local police.
Later, Tandlianwala MNA Rajab Ali Baloch, on the directives of the Punjab CM, equired after the health of the injured traders and citizens at hospital and assured them of justice.
INP ADDS: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the incident is the result of rivalry between two groups and the PML-N leaders have nothing to do with it.
On the other hand, MPA Jaffar Ali denied the allegations and said that he does not keep security guard with him and that his brother is out of city.