HYDERABAD, June 18: City police on Sunday night impounded around 30 motorcycles in the motorcycle exchange market in Khokhar Mohallah as per court directives. Police moved following court directives passed on a public interest litigation filed by Amiruddin Munshi who lived and owned a furniture shop in the area.

Police took away motorcycles including unregistered ones, which were parked outside the shops after the court ordered removal of illegal business and directed police to submit compliance report within three weeks.

Shopkeepers on Monday met with DPO Imran Shaukat and begged for his help but he declined to help them. He told the shopkeepers to continue business within their shops and not encroach upon the roads.

Mr Munshi, the petitioner, told Dawn that there was still no change in the situation as the motorcycles and motorbikes were still parked on the road outside the shops.

He claimed that the makeshift market of used motorcycles on the main road in Khokhar Mohalla had become a permanent nuisance to general public especially patients. He had cited district nazim, DCO and taluka city nazim as respondents in the public interest litigation which was converted into a constitutional petition.

The bikes were not released despite meeting of Hyderabad Motorcycle Exchange Dealers Association President Iftikhar Abbasi and General Secretary Hameed Memon with the DPO.

There were reports that the issue had split the union and led to union president Iftikhar Abbasi filing a non-cognisable offence report against Rasool Bux Khokhar, an office-bearer. Mr Abbasi lives in the same area and is said to be supportive of police action.

The SHO of city police station Abdul Khaliq said that police had so far not returned the bikes and their action would serve as a warning to shopkeepers not to encroach upon roads and keep their businesses within their shops.

The petitioner said that the market had created serious problems for the residents who had to force their way through crowds of dealers and purchasers who started thronging the area after 7 pm and remained there up to 1 am.