LAHORE, July 11: Four employees of the Pakistan Railways were injured when land grabbers opened fire at them during an anti-encroachment operation in Imamia Colony on Wednesday.

The land grabbers had raised a structure on the encroached land bearing ‘Shahdara police post’ plate.

Led by Sheikhupura Assistant Engineer Khalid Mahmood, a railway police DSP and 25 policemen reached Imamia Colony to carry out an operation aimed at retrieving more than five acres of railway land along the track from illegal occupants.

However, the squad was intercepted by Sufi Nadeem Asif and his more than a dozen accomplices. After exchange of words, Asif climbed up to the roof of the ‘police post’ and opened fire along with his accomplices, injuring railways gang men Mushtaq and Anwar besides Muawin Nadeem and Sufian.

Railway police retaliated and overpowered Asif, Shahid Ali, Ittefaq Hussain and Siddiq and seized four Kalashnikovs (444-bore), a repeater gun (12-bore) and a gun (7-MM).

On receipt of information, Railways Lahore Divisional Superintendent Javed Anwar Bubak and SSP Dr Shahzad Aslam rushed to the spot, with the former taking the injured to Mayo Hospital and the latter supervising the anti-encroachment operation.

Railways Jaranwala Police registered a case under sections 506 (II), 324, 353, 186 of the PPC, 78 of ATA, 120, 120 (III) and 121 of Railways Act after arresting Sufi Asif, Shahid Ali, Ittefaq Hussain and Siddiq.

More than two acres had been retrieved till sunset and the operation would be resumed on Thursday to retrieve the remaining land, said Bubak.

“The condition of all injured is stated to be stable,” he told Dawn late in the evening after visiting the injured at railways Cairn’s Hospital. He said Asif started encroaching upon the railway land some 15 years ago. During the last four years or so, he occupied more than five acres of railway land along the track.

SHOT DEAD: A 50-year-old man was shot dead allegedly by his nephew and his friends in Rangeelpur Sundar on Wednesday.

Police said Peeran Ditta and his friends opened fire on Iqbal and fled the scene. Iqbal succumbed to his wounds in hospital.

Quoting family, police said Iqbal used to stop Peeran from inviting his friends at home.

Police shifted the body for autopsy and registered a case against four people on the complaint of victim’s son Habibullah.