Resistance to drive against encroachments leaves five hurt

Tension gripped the Ghazi Goth area in the Sachal police jurisdiction on Saturday as an anti-encroachment team attempted to reclaim the portion of land that had been grabbed. A 15-year-old boy, two women and as many policemen were wounded by firing as a protest against the drive turned violent.

Police, however, controlled the situation with tear gas shells and baton charging the protesters. They also resorted to aerial firing to disperse the demonstrators. Senior officers have also taken notice of the police beating up two women, and ordered an inquiry into the incident.

After the anti-encroachment team reached Ghazi Goth, they had to face massive resistance from a crowd of protesters. The area turned into a battlefield as the two parties clashed, and the rioting left five people injured due to aerial firing.

The injured policemen were identified as 32-year-old Zulfiqar, who is posted at the Anti-Encroachment Police Station, and 52-year-old Manzoor, who is posted at the Sharea Faisal police station.

A 15-year-old boy identified as Noor Malik, and two women, Tasleem, 32, and Zeenat, 35, were also wounded. The injured cops were taken to a private hospital on National Stadium Road, while the three civilians were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

Police restored to aerial firing, tear gas shelling and baton charging the violent protesters to control the situation. A case has been registered against some two dozen identified and 150 to 200 unidentified suspects on the complaint of Scheme 33 Tapedar Ali Nawaz Leghari.

Police said that commercial shops and other structures were constructed on two acres in Ghazi Goth, adding that 80 per cent of the encroachments had been removed, while the operation had been halted temporarily.

Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho has also taken notice of the police beating up two women in Ghazi Goth, and ordered the District East police chief to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

DSP Nasir Bukhari told The News that the land grabbers who had fired straight shots on the police belonged to nationalist parties and had pre-planned the riot. The officer said the police have registered a case against the land grabbers and their men.

Officials suspended

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said the excessive use of force by the functionaries during the police operation in Ghazi Goth was not tolerable by his government.

“I have ordered an inquiry to ascertain facts [of the operation] and meanwhile all officials involved are being put under suspension. The law must prevail,” he in a tweet on Saturday.