MIRPURKHAS: A heavy contingent of police was deployed along major roads leading to Digri Town and protest-hit villages of Ashraf Nohani and Jalal Abrang on Monday to maintain law and order after several days of clashes between rival groups belonging to the Nohani and Abrang communities.

On Wednesday (Jan 3), two students Zahid Nohani and Ali Raza Abrang of the Govt Boys` High School, Digri, had an quarrelled over a petty issue which escalated into a wider dispute between elders of the two communities. The rival groups also traded fire leaving three members of the Abrang community wounded.

A case of attempt to murder was registered at the Digri police station as complainant Abdul Salam Abrang alleged that on Friday (Jan 5) while he was returning home after visiting MPA Mir Haji Hayat Talpur, Azam Nohani, Mehboob Khokhar, Akram Khokhar, Allah Dad Nohani and four other persons opened fire on their car near Mohammedi Chowk.

He said three of his community members Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq and Amanullah were wounded and rushed to the Digri taluka hospital and admitted in the surgical ward, the complainant said.

The nominated suspects, Azam Nohani and Allah Dad Nohani, on Monday obtained their bail from the sessions court while the two other suspects, Mehboob Khokhar and Akram Khokhar, were detained by police.

PPP district president MNA Mir Munawwar Ali Khan Talpur and MPA Mir Haji Hayat Talpur were making efforts to settle the dispute by holding negotiations with elders of both sides. Mirpurkhas SSP Nazeer Mirbahar was assisting them.

The area police claimed that the law and order in the town was under control as patrolling, particularly in the af fected areas, had been intensified.