FAISALABAD: A number of people pelted policemen with stones in Madanpura when the personnel tried to take some women into custody during a raid on a kite-making unit on Monday.

Police fired tear gas shells on protesters who kept on throwing stones intermittently.

The raiding team took five women into custody and shifted them to police station.

Severe tear gas shelling forced the residents of the densely populated area to vacate their homes or move to their rooftops because of respiratory problems.

A police team led by SSP Irfanullah Khan raided the factory of Ashraf alias Bao and Iqbal in street no 2 and recovered a huge quantity of kites and string.

Area people said during the police raid not a single resident intervened, however, they got infuriated when personnel started knocking doors of different houses to recover ‘troublemakers.’

They said not a single lady constable was part of the police team.

A policeman said kite makers threw stones on the raiding team to foil seizure of kites and string.

He claimed that some suspects took shelter in a house and when police tried to arrest them, people turned angry and started throwing stones.

He said police had no option but to forcefully open the door to arrest the suspects.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2016