SUKKUR: A formidable contingent of district administration, police, and Rangers personnel descended upon the Old Taxi Stand near the Police Headquarters on Wednesday, launching a massive operation that left dozens of permanent shops in ruins and hundreds of workers displaced.

The operation, aimed at reclaiming land previously used by the Sindh Road Transport Corporation (SRTC), transformed the bustling commercial hub into what onlookers described as a “war zone” by the evening.

Execution under tight security

Under the supervision of Municipal Commissioner Peer Wahid Bakhsh and Assistant Commissioner Sarah Faraz, heavy machinery— including excavators, loaders and dosers— moved in after the authorities cordoned off the area. Barriers were placed at Dadu Chowk and Rahim Market to halt traffic as utility teams from Sepco and Sui Gas disconnected electricity and gas lines to prevent accidents during the demolition.

According to the municipal commissioner, the action was taken to implement court orders.

“We are demolishing 42 shops whose leases have expired, alongside various unleased constructions,” Bakhsh stated. “All legal formalities were completed, and shopkeepers were granted a grace period before we initiated the action.”

The cleared site is allegedly slated for the construction of a modern parking plaza intended to ease city congestion.

Action termed ‘economic massacre’

The atmosphere turned volatile as affected shopkeepers gathered to protest, raising slogans against the administration. Many claimed to have operated at the site for over 40 years and insisted they possessed valid lease documents.

The protesters alleged the operation was “political and vindictive,” claiming that the land in question actually falls outside the SRTC premises according to historical maps.

The traders argued that the matter is currently sub judice (under soft consideration by the court) and should not have been touched.

The protesters accused the administration of targeting the poor to eventually hand the land over to private builders.

“This is an economic massacre,” one shopkeeper remarked while sifting through the rubble. “We have been deprived of our livelihoods without being provided any alternative space.”

Grim aftermath

By the sunset, the area was a graveyard of concrete and steel. Hundreds of daily-wage earners, denters, painters and spare-parts dealers found themselves suddenly unemployed. While police in riot gear maintained a strict perimeter to prevent violence, shopkeepers were seen desperately salvaging what remained of their inventory.

While the administration maintains the move is a necessary step for urban development and legal compliance, public circles have urged the government to allocate alternative sites to the displaced traders to prevent a burgeoning unemployment crisis in the city.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2026