KARACHI: Operation to evacuate the land of circular railway turned into an intensive fight between the Anti Encroachment Force and residents of Machar Colony Area on Wednesday. The scuffle between the two groups let to one police mobile and one crane being set on fire while 5 officers got injured in the clash with the protesters. The police has claimed to have detained dozens of miscreants.
On Wednesday the Anti Encroachment Force accompanied with the police team of Docks Police Station reached the area and started the second round to demolish the houses and shops built by the land grabbers on railway land. The residents of the area gathered on the spot and started protesting to stop the operation, according to the police.
According to the SHO Docks Police Station the Anti Encroachment Force with the help of Cranes could only manage to demolish 11 Houses and Shops when the further demolishment work was forced to stop by miscreants in the garb of protesters started throwing stones on the team of anti encroachment force, police retaliated with batons charge and Ariel firing to disburse the protesters which stirred them.
To handle the situation SP Keamari sent more policemen on the spot to protect the workers who were engaged in demolishment but on the behalf of land grabbers the miscreants intensified their attack and one police mobile and one crane was set on fire while 5 officials of anti encroachment force got injured who were taken to the civil hospital for treatment immediately.
Police officials further told Daily Times that one team of miscreants reached the Muaripur road and started their protest and set tires on fire which made the situation in the area worst and because of the severe traffic jam thousands of the vehicles got stuck on both sides of the road and in the surrounding streets for at least 5 hours.
After the decision of stopping halting the operation from high-ups eased the situation some what but the tension is still visible in the area from where the police have detained dozens of suspects and started interrogating them.