KARACHI: An exercise by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in Taiser Town on Tuesday to mark government land turned into a violent episode when two legislators of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf turned up at the spot with their respective supporters and accused each other of supporting encroachments in the area, leading to a brawl between their groups.

Though the police stayed silent on the incident, a video of the brawl between supporters of PTI MNA Aftab Jehangir and the party’s MPA Rabista Khan went viral on social media, showing them hurling allegations against each other of seizing government land and grabbing people’s property. The incident occurred in Sector-6C of the area where the KDA staff stood surprised when dozens of area people came to protest against alleged encroachment of their land by the “mafia”.

The protesters were later joined by PTI MNA Aftab Jehangir and then its MPA Rabista Khan each with dozens of their supporters. As the KDA team was returning after executing its job, the supporters of the two legislators locked horns, accusing each other of being members of the “mafia” and encroachers. The heated arguments turned into a brawl, forcing the leaders to escape the scene.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018