KARACHI, April 21: A team of the Liaquatabad Town administration was attacked while it was supervising removal of encroachments in Nazimabad No.1 on Monday.

According to a press release issued by the town administration, town nazim Osama Qadri, SPO Nazimabad Chaudhry Mohammad Boota, TMO Khalid Riaz Siddiqui, TO (Municipal and Regulation) Mohammad Aslam Khan, DTO (Sanitation) Nasir Khan and DO (Land) Kamran Alvi were supervising the anti-encroachment team escorted by the regular, traffic and community police of the locality.

The team was confiscating encroachments like pushcarts, cabins, gas cylinders, etc along Shahrah-i-Hakeem Ibn-i-Sina to clear the signal-free corridor when it came under attack by “land-grabbers”, who threw stones at the staff near Nadriya Hotel. Some of the attackers opened fire on the team and the supervising officials.

The town administration claimed that Mr Qadri escaped unhurt in the attack. However, it added, some personnel of the community police sustained injuries. Their vehicles were also damaged in the attack.

The vehicular traffic at this section of the road remained suspended for some time and the injured were shifted to a local hospital.

The statement alleged that the incident took place due to the absence of adequate police personnel. It said that senior police officials had, at a meeting held a couple of days back, assured the town administration of providing a contingent of police to be drawn from different police stations for carrying out the anti-encroachment operation. However, it said, the in-charges of the police stations concerned seemed not unaware of such a decision.

The town nazim has, meanwhile, stated that the drive against encroachers will continue with help of the city government.

Meanwhile, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has expressed his concern over a sudden surge in large scale encroachments.

Talking to newsmen on Monday evening, he said it was beyond his comprehension why the land mafia had become so active all of a sudden.

“The government will not allow anyone to occupy the city’s footpaths, roads and park spaces,” he said, and warned that stringent action would be taken against encroachers.—Agencies