KARACHI: A policeman and two employees of the Karachi Development Authority were injured when enraged people allegedly put up resistance to a drive launched in Gulistan-i-Jauhar to get vacated over 24 acres of land on the directions of the Sindh High Court, officials said on Tuesday.

Several restaurants and illegal structures built on the encroached land were demolished during the drive.

A police spokesperson in a statement said, “Violent people attacked the anti-encroachment team at Zakaria Goth in Gulistan-i-Jauhar”.

They blocked the road and the police were present to control the situation while no casualties were reported, the statement added.

However, a police officer, who wished not to be named, said that when the anti-encroachment operation was started in Block-10-11, the alleged land grabbers attacked the team and police with stones. As a result, a policeman and two employees of the KDA were injured.

Policeman and two KDA employees suffer injuries; several ‘illegal’ structures, shops demolished

The officer said a case would be registered against the attackers.

While the police deny firing shells or carrying out any aerial firing, witnesses and rescue services said law-enforcers had baton-charged the people and fired tear gas at the protesters.

The protesters blocked the main Prof Ghafoor Ahmed Road near Munawar Chowrangi because of which traffic was diverted onto alternative routes.

East SSP Zubair Nazeer Shaikh told Dawn that the KDA had started an anti-encroachment operation in Blocks 10 and 11 of Jauhar as per directions of the apex court. He recalled that the SHC in its order issued on March 2 directed the KDA to get 30 acres of land retrieved from illegal occupation.

The court had also asked the police and Rangers to assist the city administration in view of apprehension about law and order. The officer said as the operation started to get back 30 acres of land, the alleged land grabbers put up resistance prompting the police to take action.

The SSP said police resorted to light action to disperse the protesters who later on blocked the road. He denied aerial firing and tear gas shelling.

Meanwhile, a traffic police spokesperson said the both lanes of the road near Munawar Chowrangi had been blocked due to the protest in the area for considerable period.

The police said the operation underwent despite protest and several restaurants and other illegal structures built on encroached land were demolished with help of heavy machinery.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2023