LAHORE: Traders of the Bhati bird market have termed the government ‘the killer of a huge number of birds and pets’, which they claim were buried alive during the pre-dawn anti-encroachment operation on Wednesday.

The shopkeepers also accused the government of destroying the business of over 150 bird market shopkeepers within a few hours despite promising to hold a meeting on Wednesday at 12pm.

“In a detailed meeting with us on Tuesday, the officers including the assistant commissioner (city) pledged to hold another meeting on Wednesday at 12pm to decide the compensation and providing us with alternate shops in the wake of the ongoing activities related to the revival of heritage by the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival (LAHR),” explains Saleem Iqbal, the bird market president.

“Surprisingly, I received a phone call from someone in the wee hours of Wednesday (2am) about the government’s intention to launch an operation early in the morning. I didn’t bother considering the commitment made by the government officers,” Mr Iqbal said.

Claim govt officials had committed to hold a meeting later in the day for provision of alternative shops; LDA DG terms allegations propaganda, says admin helped to clear out shops before the operation

He said that at 4am on Wednesday, he was told that a huge number of police, officials of the city administration and LDA had surrounded the market along with heavy machinery. He said when he reached the spot and saw the demolition, he requested the officers on duty to honour the commitment and stop the operation for the sake of birds and animals inside the shops.

“But they threatened me with dire consequences, warning me to better leave the site, failing which I may not see my family again,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention that the Bhati Chowk remodeling project launched by LDA and Tepa aims to reduce traffic congestion and to control pollution. Though this project is not part of the LAHR project, its objectives are similar to the LAHR project.

“Only the traders of the 13 or 14 shops situated near the front were able to take out the birds and cages late on the night of the incident. But others, who had already closed their shops in the evening as per routine, couldn’t take out their birds, pets and other goods. A number of animals were buried alive during the operation, when all the structures of the market were raised with heavy machinery,” claims Bahu Khan, an office-bearer of the bird association.

The government, on the other hand, had rejected the allegations, claiming that not a single bird was killed during the operation.

“All shopkeepers were aware of this operation and our teams also helped them shift the birds and other goods,” LDA Director General Tahir Farooq claimed in a telephonic conversation with Dawn.

“The pictures being shown in the media are fake, as not a single bird or pet was even injured. It is just propaganda by some shopkeepers to defame the government,” he said. He claimed the LDA had proof showing LDA and Tepa officials helping shopkeepers in taking their birds and cages out of the shops.

However, the bird traders dispute the government’s claims and offer to remove the debris to unearth the truth.

“At 5:30pm, a couple of non-governmental organisations visited the site and found several birds buried alive after some debris were removed by the shopkeepers on their own,” said Saleem Iqbal.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2025