RAHIM YAR KHAN: At least five people were injured on Tuesday when the roof of an illegal shed collapsed during a joint demolition operation by the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (Pera) and the Municipal Committee (MC) in Abbasia Town, Rahim Yar Khan. The operation targeted encroachments along the eastern bank of Nowshera Minor Canal.
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Shopkeepers alleged that the operation was conducted without prior notice. Yaseen, an affected shopkeeper, told Dawn that around 11am, Pera and MC staff asked them to vacate 20 feet of land in front of their shops by evening, warning that illegal sheds would be removed.
According to witnesses, while many shopkeepers were dismantling sheds voluntarily, Pera and MC teams returned with heavy machinery within two hours. During the demolition, the roof of a shed collapsed with some people still inside, injuring five individuals, including Gulfam (18), Ali (20), Qammar Sultan (21), and a carpenter. They were immediately shifted to Sheikh Zayed Medical College Hospital (SZMCH) for treatment.
Shopkeepers further alleged that SZMCH doctors initially refused to admit the injured and denied issuing medico-legal certificates (MLCs) due to pressure from Pera officials. Lawyers later intervened, and the injured were moved to a private facility for treatment.
Some shopkeepers also claimed that Pera staff demanded bribes to spare their shops during the operation. SZMCH Deputy Medical Superintendent Rana Ilyas Ahmed said a board has now examined the injured and will finalize MLC reports in the coming days.
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Efforts to obtain comments from Pera and the MC administration remained unsuccessful, with officials either unavailable or refusing to respond. The incident raises concerns over the conduct of anti-encroachment operations and the safety of citizens during such drives.