KARACHI, Aug 2: Illegal immigrants living in an Afghan camp blocked Super Highway for more than four hours on early Friday morning and tried to attack Gulzar-i-Hijri police post along the highway after an armed clash with police in which two Afghan nationals were wounded.

Police said a police party of the investigation branch raided the house of an Afghan national, Fateh Mohammed, at Machhar Colony in the Afghan camp, a squatter settlement of illegal immigrants from Afghanistan. Police said Fateh was wanted in several criminal cases.

When a five-member police party, headed by Mohammed Ali Niazi, raided the house around Thursday-Friday midnight, it faced strong resistance by the occupants of the house and people from the neighbourhood. Police came under intense firing, and they returned the fire in self-defence. During the firing, Lal Mohammed and Wazeer Khan, father and brother, respectively, of the wanted criminal, suffered bullet injuries. They were later taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The policemen took shelter in Gulzar-i-Hijri police post. The violent mob, carrying sticks and clubs, surrounded the police post. Hundreds of Afghans collected on Super Highway and blocked the highway, forcing suspension of traffic on the highway for several hours.

Heavy contingents of police and other law-enforcement agencies were sent to the troubled spot to control the situation. The protesters demanded stern action against the raiding police party.

Negotiations were held between police and Afghans. Police registered two FIRs — one by police and the other by Afghans. The head of the raiding police party lodged the FIR No 305/2002 in which he stated that Lal Mohammed and others attacked police and interfered with government functions. The other FIR No 306 was registered against Mohammed Ali Niazi and his police party for trespassing on Lal Mohammed’s house, violating the sanctity of the house, and firing at innocent occupants of the house.

After registration of the FIRs, the protesters dispersed and the highway was opened to traffic.