Minor’s death during anti-encroachment operation sparks protest

A six-year-old boy died on Friday as an attempt was made to demolish an informal settlement near the Super Highway under the anti-encroachment drive.

The incident took place when an anti-encroachment team reached a Kutchi Abadi near the Ganna Market area in Sohrab Goth and started a demolition exercise. During the demolition, a woman was injured along with her children, of whom a six-year-old boy, who was later identified as Jan Muhammad, succumbed to his injuries shortly after the incident.

The boy’s family, relatives and scores of residents of the area came out on the Super Highway along with the body and held a protest against the incident in front of al-Asif Square.

The protesters turned aggressive and blocked the main Super Highway for vehicular traffic. They also pelted the passing vehicles with stones and set tyres and a motorcycle on fire on the highway, causing a massive traffic jam on the road. The protesters broke windowpanes of about half a dozen vehicles as they hurled stones at them. They shouted slogans against the incident and demanded justice for the deceased child.

Heavy contingents of police and the Rangers reached the site. The aggressive protesters dispersed following successful negotiations with police officials who assured them of their full cooperation regarding the child’s death.

As the protest ended, the Super Highway was reopened for the traffic after two hours. The victim’s father, Gul Noor, while talking to the media said he was a labourer by profession and had been living in the area for the past many years. He claimed that the family was served notice to vacate the place before April 15 but the demolition teams arrived prior to the deadline and started carrying out demolition in the area.

He lamented that his wife and two other children had been admitted to a hospital while his minor son died after a wall of his house collapsed during the anti-encroachment operation. Police officials said the occupants of the Katchi Abadi had already been asked to vacate their houses which were located on a service road of the M-9 project.

According to Sohrab Goth DSP Khalid Tipu, the residents tried to negotiate with the anti-encroachment team as they assured them that they would leave the area themselves; however, they resorted to aggression after the news of injuries to some members of a family during the demolition exercise came in and one of the injured died. Police officials said no case had yet been registered but they were investigating the incident.