KARACHI: It was nearly a free-for-all in the City Council on Thursday when treasury and opposition members got into a fight on the floor after the opposition parties strongly protested the demolition of a mosque during the anti-encroachment operation in Hill Park.

The melee ensued after Mayor Wasim Akhtar, who was presiding over the session, did not allow the opposition to move a resolution against the mosque’s demolition leading to scuffles among the treasury and opposition members.

Some of the council members, belonging to both sides, fell on the ground as many others resorted to punches and kicks grabbing each others’ collar and shirts while the helpless mayor was surrounded by his guards and treasury members.

One of the opposition members even tried to take away the mace from the table of the presiding mayor, but his attempt was thwarted by the treasury members and the mayor’s guards, leaving the symbolic weapon broken in two.

The mayor halted the proceedings for 15 minutes as the opposition members chanted slogans “hang those who demolished the mosque” and “mayor murdabad” and tore the copies of the session’s agenda.

Earlier, Akbar Ali Hashmi, the parliamentary leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, moved a resolution for the restoration of the demolished mosque and action against those responsible for it.

The resolution that was later passed with majority votes thanked the mayor for restoring the affected mosque in Hill Park and announcing action against the officials responsible for the incident.

The mayor assured the house that action would be taken against the officials responsible for this negligence.

Mayor Akhtar said that the action against encroachments in the city was taken on the directive of the Supreme Court and such constructions were also removed in Hill Park. “However due to some misunderstanding debris fell on the mosque while demolishing the stores and other encroachments which should not have been happened as no Muslim can never even imagine demolishing a mosque,” he added.

He said that the mosque would be restored and made even better so the visitors to the park could offer prayers there.

The house also gave approval of 15 other resolutions.

The resolutions which were passed by majority votes included the approval of biggest bid of the auction of entry fee, reptile house fee and jumping castle fee in the Karachi Zoo, entry fee and parking fee and supply of food to animals in the Safari Park, Karachi Zoo and Landhi Korangi Zoo, supply of fire brigade uniforms and other items, cleaning of KMC head office, provision of different items for programmes arranged by the media management department, approval of agreement for repairing of machinery and vehicles of Machine Pool Depot and change of name of Nazeer Hussain Memorial Kidney Centre to Karachi Institute of Kidney Diseases, KMC.

During the proceedings various members expressed their opinion including parliamentary leader Aslam Shah Afridi, Akbar Shah Hashmi, Karamullah Waqasi and Junaid Mukati.

Later speaking to reporters, opposition leader in the council Junaid Mukati said that two women members — Yasim Butt and Nasima Baloch — were also manhandled during the rumpus in the council.

Meanwhile, the mayor said that “some elements” wanted to attack him during the session and the situation turned ugly when the security staff and some members foiled their attempt.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2019