KASUR, Feb 11: Pakistan Railway (PR) authorities razed at least six houses and shops constructed in a ‘katchi abadi’ along side the railway track near Kanganpur on Monday, however an abrupt protest by locals made the officials to leave the spot without accomplishing their task.

PR staff led by Kasur Inspector of Works, Humayun, equipped with heavy machinery including excavators and bulldozers along with a large contingent of the railway police reached the ‘katchi abadi’ on Monday afternoon and started demolishing houses and shops allegedly constructed after encroaching upon the PR land.

The move stirred the dwellers and around 100 locals gathered there abruptly started resisting it. They also resorted to slogan mongering against the PR authorities.

PR workers had razed six houses and shops by the time an independent candidate’s son reached the scene and intervened to resolve the matter amicably. Sensing delicacy of the matter, particularly in ‘volcanic’ political set up, the PR workers and the police thought it appropriate to leave their task unaccomplished and return to their stations.

Dozens of unpaved houses have been constructed near the railway track since early 80s and the locality has allegedly been declared a ‘kachi abadi’ a number of times while its dwellers are demanding ownership rights for the last around 10 years.

Locals, including general councillor Arshad Shah, have alleged that the government had declared the locality as ‘kachi abadi’ and now a drama was being staged for political gains just to harass them. Inspector Humayun said that he had just followed the directives of his superiors to demolish the encroachments upon PR land.