KARACHI, Oct 28: Police have started constructing offices by encroaching upon a piece of land on the Mai Kolachi Road in Clifton near a recreational park, resulting in resentment among the residents.

However, Sindh police chief Syed Kamal Shah ordered the police to stop the construction and asked the capital city police chief to inquire into the matter and submit him a report immediately.

The police started work on the construction on Saturday night without intimating the area people adjacent to the R.A. Bokhari Park near the Sea Breeze Super Star Apartments and the railway crossing in Saddar Town.

The people complained that the police suddenly started constructing a four to five-room office. The residents protested over the misuse of power by the police and urged them to stop the construction, but the police erected the walls by force. The residents maintained that the presence of police near the recreational park, which was adopted and maintained by an NGO, would create nuisance as families visited the park in the evening.

The residents on Monday went to meet TPO Saddar Dr Tariq Khokhar, who according to them, rudely asked them to show an alternative place for the police office within three days, otherwise the police would resume the construction.

Kamal Shah told Dawn that he was not aware of the development and asserted that the police offices would not be built without taking the area residents into confidence. He said it would also be reviewed as to whether the construction of a police kiosk was necessary and the presence of police was useful at that spot. “We will not take any step which will annoy the people,” he remarked.

Capital city police chief Asad Jehangir said the TPO Saddar had visited the site and had got permission from the Town Nazim who had allotted the land to the police for construction of the kiosk.

However, Saddar Town Nazim Farooq Faria said: “I did not allot the land to the police. Instead, I have asked the police to stop the construction work after the area residents raised objection.”

He said the police department had selected the location for building a Madadgar-15 office and the Saddar Town Nazim office had not objected to it. However, when the area residents raised objections, the matter was referred to the land department and construction was stopped, he added.

The people said although the construction had been stopped, but the erected walls were not demolished and the policemen were threatening the residents to remain quiet or face the consequences.

It may be mentioned that an office of ASP had been constructed in Gulshan-i-Iqbal by encroaching upon a builder’s office and on the pavement.

The Gulshan-i-Iqbal police encroached upon an abandoned office of a builder on the University Road, opposite the Safari Park, where the construction project was halted due to certain reasons. It was later converted into the ASP office.

Besides, the police have encroached upon more than 40 buildings and government and private lands and established police stations or offices.