KARACHI: Police on Wednes­day resorted to tear-gas shelling and baton charge and fired shots into the air to disperse a mob that blocked both tracks of the National Highway in protest against an anti-encroachment drive in Malir, officials and witnesses said.

The Malir Development Authority along with help of the local police conducted an anti-encroachment operation to demolish shops allegedly illegally constructed in a ‘commercial area’ of Dur Mohammed Goth of Malir, said Shah Latif SHO Amanullah Marwat.

The area people pelted the police with stones and resultantly a head constable, Ghulam Yasin, and passerby, Abdul Razzak, sustained minor injuries, added the officer.

The mob also blocked the National Highway near the police training centre in Razzakabad.

As a result, the vehicular traffic was suspended on the main artery linking the city with the airport.

The police officer claimed they fired tear gas only to disperse the mob.

The residents told media that they have got a stay order from court, but the MDA carried out the anti-encroachment drive regardless.

The police sought help of notables of the area and held successful talks with the protesters, who

later vacated the highway on assurances that no anti-encroachment drive would be initiated in future.

The police registered a case against around 150 people for rioting, said the SHO.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2017