Karachi: Gulshan-e-Sikanderabad residents riot against anti-encroachment drive

[Naveed Yaseen]

KARACHI: Residents of Gulshan-e-Sikanderabad, located within the precincts of Jackson police station, started rioting on Thursday after a team of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) reached the area and started bulldozing illegally occupied land. As the team of encroachers initiated the drive and bulldozed a few of the houses, scores of inhabitants started burning tyres and pelting stones on passing vehicles, injuring staffers of the encroachment team. Heavy contingents of law enforcers reached the spot to maintain law and order situation. However, the enraged protesters also pelted stones at the law enforcers and refused to disperse, upon which the police resorted to teargas and aerial firing. The area residents claimed that they have been residing in the area for the past 20 years and the way adopted by the administration for evacuation of the land was completely inappropriate.

Police fire on pillion riders: Similarly, residents of Federal ‘B’ Area staged a protest after police personnel opened fire on pillion riders who were trying to flee. According to details, police personnel on a motorbike, tried to intercept a motorbike within the jurisdiction of Samanabad police station but instead of stopping, the two men tried to flee. As a result, the police opened fire, enraging the area residents who caught and beat up one of the cops, while the other managed to escape. Hundreds of people, while condemned the firing by the police, blocked the Shahrah-e-Pakistan demanding action against the cops. A heavy police contingent reached the spot and dispersed the crowd after around two hours. staff report

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