FAISALABAD, Nov 23: Police registered a case against over two dozen shopkeepers of Karkhana Bazaar on Wednesday for attacking the land branch employees of Lyallpur Town Administration during an operation against encroachments. Reports said a team of the town administration, headed by Encroachment Inspector Agha Azam Hussain, was removing encroachments from the bazaar and its adjoining markets when a group of traders, led by Haji Aslam and Muhammad Akram, allegedly attacked the employees.

The attacking shopkeepers reportedly threatened to torch the town’s official vehicles if the employees did not halt the operation.

On being informed of the incident, Lyallpur Town Nazim Rana Zahid Mehmood, arrived at the spot and supervized the operation.

Rail Bazaar police, on an application moved by Mr Hussain, registered a case against 27 persons for creating hurdles in official working and attacking the police. However, no arrests have so far been made.

Meanwhile, shopkeepers of eight bazaars, yarn market and cloth markets have been given five days to remove encroachments, otherwise the town administration will confiscate their goods and demolish the illegal structures.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the trader bodies’ representatives, Muhammad Nawaz Vohra, Tajmmal Hussain, Malik Faiz Muhammad, Haji Muhammad Rafi and others, with Town Nazim Rana Zahid.

The officeholders of trader bodies assured the nazim that they would fully cooperate with the TMA officials during the anti-encroachment operation so that the bazaars could be beautified and widened.

The nazim said a comprehensive plan had been chalkedout for upgrading the sewerage system of the bazaars and to eliminate encroachments.

He further said that both the traders and the government agencies would have to play a positive role for the city uplift.

MURDERED: Four people were murdered in separate incidents here on Wednesday.