HYDERABAD, July 3: Shopkeepers at Fakir ka Pir Bazaar closed their shops to resist the anti-encroachment drive scheduled for Thursday by the Union Council-7 Nazim, Abdul Rauf Jafri.

The Nazim decided to begin a drive given the fact that the shopkeepers had increased their shops’ space by 15 feet, leaving no space for the pedestrians and vehicles.

The anti-encroachment drive was aimed at lining up the shops within their approved areas.

Mr Jafri told this correspondent that keeping in mind an amicable solution of the problem before deciding to initiate the drive, he had consulted the people of the locality, the councillors of his union council, the police, the administration and representatives of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) at its zonal office. He said that all of them had supported the idea.

As soon as the encroachment staff from the Taluka Municipal Administration, city, arrived along with the police and councillors, 80 per cent shopkeepers immediately closed their shops.

In the first phase, the drive will cover the area from Fakir ka Pir Chowk to the Bombay Hotel followed by the removal of encroachments in Shahi Bazaar and Resham Gali.

Mr Jafri pointed out that, in fact, the bazaar’s union was instigating shopkeepers and forcing him to hold negotiations at the union office.

He claimed that the shopkeepers were told that they could keep two feet additional space and not 15 feet as it posed a host of problems.

He said that the father of a resident of the area, Mr Irfan, had died due to cardiac arrest as the ambulance could not reach his house as encroachment created hurdles in the path of the vehicle.

He said that the anti-encroachment drive has to be launched from some point after all.

HDA WORKER DIES: An employee of the Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA), Saeeduddin, died on Thursday by falling from the chamber’s stairs.