Hazara Colony residents deter anti-encroachment drive

Drive ends with a settlement whereby shopkeepers will demolish encroachments themselves

KARACHI: In a rare occurrence since the anti-encroachment drive commenced in Karachi, authorities and law enforcers failed in their mission to wipe out illegal structures.
The unexpected happened at Hazara Colony near Kala Pul - a blink-and-you-miss-it neighbourhood, squeezed between Mehmoodabad and the more posh areas of Karachi Cantonment. Inside, narrow twisting lanes are surrounded by unplanned multi-storeyed constructions, many seemingly the result of an afterthought on the part of its inhabitants.
On Friday, as the Railways Police reached the site to demolish illegal structures built on the Pakistan Railways’ land, they were met with enraged residents and shopkeepers.
A barrage of stones fell on the advancing law enforcers, who had to beat a hasty retreat. Regrouping, the law enforcers baton-charged the protesters, but this too had little effect on their resolve. The latter, refusing to disperse, even offered Jumma prayers on the road.
Ultimately, all parties decided to negotiate a truce. It was thus decided that the Pakistan Railways, Katchi Abadis Authority and Cantonment Board officials will mark encroachments of shops, which the shopkeepers will demolish themselves, with the help of the authorities.



The lead-up
For the past couple of days, eviction notices and announcements were making the rounds as authorities warned shopkeepers to vacate illegal structures. On D-day, as law enforcement personnel arrived at the site, residents and shopkeepers came out in droves to protect their own.
Initially, traffic was allowed to pass through, but when the Railways Police attempted to disperse the protesters with tear gas shells, the latter reacted violently and started hurling stones. Heavily outnumbered, the law enforcers had to call off what was to be the first of several such attempts.
The situation had already grown quite tense when Railways Police SSP Shehla Qureshi reached the spot and deployed additional personnel in the surroundings of Hazara Chowk.
Sensing the developing situation, the protesters shifted the prayer site to where police had gathered to launch a second attempt. By the time the prayers were finished, the Railways Police had surrounded the protesters. Again, the latter refused to budge, while more residents joined the protest in ever-increasing numbers.
Taking stock of the volatile situation, the Railways Police sought help from the district police. By this time, heavy machinery had been summoned to demolish the structures.

A funeral
At this point, Mamrez Khan, the general secretary of Action Committee - a group of residents and shopkeepers of Hazara Colony - claimed that a shopkeeper, Parvez, had suffered a heart attack due to the Railway Police’s announcements and had died. The body was brought to Hazara Chowk.
Railways officials refuted the claim, terming it a false accusation. The deceased was suffering from a heart disease, they said.



Strategic failure
The police changed their strategy again. They stepped back, charged again swinging batons at the protesters. Again, they failed in the face of the barrage of stones coming their way.
Finally, the South Deputy Commissioner Syed Salahuddin and South SSP Peer Muhammad Shah approached the protesters for a settlement.
Pakistan Railways, Kachi Abadis Authority and Cantonment board staff would only mark the encroachments, which would then be demolished by the shopkeepers themselves. The authorities would help in then demolition work if the shopkeepers requested.
According to DC Salahuddin, no action would be taken against the houses built atop the shops, but they would not be used for any commercial activity any longer. Shops on which no house has been built would be demolished.
Meanwhile, SSP Pir Muhammad Shah said that the police did not use any unnecessary force with the protestors. “Hazara Chowk residents are peace-loving people and they have played a positive role in the negotiations,” he said.