HYDERABAD, May 6: The Pakistan Railways police and other officials on Tuesday demolished at least 21 houses established on the railway land in the city in two separate anti-encroachment operations.

The drive was resisted by the occupants of the houses in Lal Quarters, located in union council-15 of Latifabad Taluka, and in Al-Shahbaz Colony, located in union council-1 of Qasimabad Taluka.

A heavy contingent of the railway police, railway officials and other police force arrived in the Lal Quarters and demolished six houses of Wazir Pathan and his brothers.

According to Rafiq Meyo, the Nazim, union council-1, Wazir Pathan was a railway employee and the houses were located in the katcha abadi that had not been regularized as the railways department had refused to surrender its land for regularization of katcha abadi.

Mr Meyo said that a population of around 10,000 people was living in katcha abadis of Lal Quarters and Badin Chali, situated in the same area along the railway tracks, and added that at least a 100 illegal houses had not been touched.

The Railway officials brought around 80 to 90 bullies for demolishing the quarters.

The Nazim claimed the situation could have become explosive had he not intervened.

He said that now the families of Wazir Pathan and his brothers were living under the open sky.

In a similar operation in the Al-Shahbaz katcha abadi within the jurisdiction of Union Council-1 Qasimabad, the railway officials demolished around 15 houses, said Ali Nawaz Kutrio, the Nazim of the area. The residents, including women came out of their homes, imploring the officials not to carry out the operation.