ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Over 60 traders of Aabpara Market, including the traders' union president, were arrested following a clash between police personnel and shopkeepers here on Monday.

A case has been registered against the arrested persons. The traders were staging a demonstration against the Capital Development Authority's anti-encroachment drive. A heavy contingent of police gathered at various corners of Aabpara Chowk resorted to baton-charge and heavy teargas shelling to disperse the agitated traders.

In retaliation, traders pelted stones on the police causing damage to their vehicles and private cars. A number of people including traders, police personnel and passers-by were injured in the clash.

"We had asked the protesters to stop burning tyres in the centre of Aabpara Chowk and remain peaceful but they refused to obey the orders which led to a clash between the police and the traders," sub-inspector Aabpara police Nawazul Haq told Dawn.

The staff of the CDA's Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) conducted an operation in Aabpara Market to remove encroachments from the market on Monday morning.

"The CDA staff removed encroachments and confiscated the goods that were lying on the footpaths outside various shops early in the morning," the DMA's director Momim Agha said. He said following the operation representatives of traders union met him and demanded the return of confiscated items.

"I asked them to give a written statement that they would cooperate with the CDA in removing encroachments from the market. But they refused to do so and asked me to give the same that the staff of DMA would not come again in the market," he said.

He said the talks between the DMA officials and traders remained inconclusive due to non-cooperation of trader leaders including Ajmal Baloch. Following the failure of the talks, some 200 traders staged a demonstration. They also observed shutterdown strike and closed their shops for the entire day.

Talking to Dawn before his arrest, president Aabpara Traders Union (ATU) Ajmal Baloch said the CDA was not serious in removing encroachments from the market.

"The staff of the DMA do not remove vendors and outsiders because they pay the CDA staff on monthly basis. However, shop owners are victimized in the name of anti-encroachment drive," he added.

"We have also filed a case of stealing against the DMA staff with Aabpara police station," Mr Baloch said. He said traders were ready to cooperate with the DMA, but the lower staff of the DMA did not want to remove vendors so that they could extort money on monthly basis.