Miscreants attack anti-encroachment senior official in Karachi

The KMC temporarily halts its operations and calls for more police personnel over security concerns

KARACHI: An official of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) anti-encroachment cell was attacked on Sunday at Rainbow Centre where an operation was being carried out.

As per the orders of the Supreme Court (SC), the anti-encroachment cell demolished 151 shops constructed on footpaths and gutters around Rainbow Centre, during which miscreants attacked Bashir Siddiqui, the senior director of the anti-encroachment cell. The angry protesters pelted stones at Siddiqui forcing him to run away from the site.



Despite deployment of a heavy contingent of police at the scene, the protesters pelted stones and attacked the anti-encroachment team. The situation had to be controlled by Rangers, who also made a few arrests on the spot. The KMC temporarily halted its operations in the area and called for more police personnel over security concerns.

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar arrived at the site and said that after clear instructions from SC, encroachments on the footpath, roads and parks are being demolished across the city.



He informed that work on eliminating encroachments from both sides of the circular railway track has begun. He further added, "The largest encroachments in the history of Pakistan were at Saddar around the Empress Market which have now been removed. The anti-encroachment operation is underway all over the city."

Up to a hundred illegal shops and encroachments at Sohrab Goth have also been removed. The mayor vowed that Karachi will be restored to its original form.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2018.