KARACHI: The city administration was forced to postpone its anti-encroachment drive in Korangi’s Mehran Town on Tuesday after scores of people turned violent, attacked a Karachi Development Authority team, hurt four officials, torched a real estate office, four motorbikes and a four-wheeler in the presence of police and Rangers.

Dozens of members of anti-encroachment cell of the KDA found themselves trapped and helpless when protesting area people pelted them with stones in a bid to resist their encroachment removal action.

Officials said that some people among the protesters also resorted to firing. Although the police and Rangers returned fire, the situation could not be pacified. The face-off continued for more than four hours until the KDA decided to postpone the exercise.

Removal of encroachments suspended; seven ‘miscreants’ held

Though the KDA team returned without completing its job, a heavy contingent of the police and Rangers entered the troubled block of Mehran Town, raided multiple places and made a few arrests.

“We [had] more than 50 people with all required machinery in our team,” said a KDA spokesman. “The operation remained smooth for first two hours and we removed some eight to 10 illegal structures when a few miscreants emerged and chanted slogans. The situation remained in control for half an hour but it started deteriorating when they were joined by more people and they started pelting stones on our team members.”

He said that four officials sustained wounds and were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment. “Shots were also fired so we suspended the operation on security grounds.”

He said the KDA decided to remove all encroachments from Mehran Town in line with court orders that directed the authorities to retrieve the land so that it could be utilised for its original purpose.

He said that a residential scheme in Mehran Town was launched in 1974 for overseas Pakistanis but over the years it was occupied by the land mafia and the real owners were still waiting for the possession of their plots despite paying all dues.

Seven held for violence, firing

Later in the evening, the police issued details of the losses during the violence and claimed to have arrested seven suspects.

“Unknown miscreants have assaulted a KDA team taking action against encroachments in Mehran Town, Korangi,” it said. “Four members of the KDA team suffered injuries due to stone pelting. The miscreants have also set on fire four motorbikes, an office of a local estate agent and the skeleton of a car parked outside a local workshop in the area. The operation by the KDA has been suspended.”

The police also raided multiple hideouts after the operation was suspended and detained a few suspects who were released after initial questioning.

“Seven miscreants have been arrested from Mehran Town,” the statement said, adding that those arrested also included a key suspect who opened fire on police with his 9mm pistol.

“The police operation is under way and more arrests are expected,” said the Karachi police statement.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2018