Brawl between shopkeepers injures 11

An argument between two groups of shopkeepers in Saeedabad market on Wednesday turned into a violent brawl, leaving 11 people injured.

Police said that the issue had been simmering for a while with the latest argument escalating into a brawl with sticks, sharp objects, chairs and metal rods involved.

The Saeedabad police said they were alerted by other shopkeepers and arrived at the scene to break up the melee. The injured were rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment and medico-legal report.

After the brawl, over two dozen people gathered outside the police station, demanding the registration of a first information report (FIR) against those injured. However, the area SHO insisted on interviewing the injured party before filing any case. Police said that the protesters became insistent and created a ruckus after which they detained four of them. Law enforcers added that a case would be filed against the suspects after recording the statements of the injured.

Encroachment

Shopkeepers in Anarkali Bazar near the Water Pump in FB Area shut down their shops and blocked the main Shahra-e-Pakistan to protest against the "encroachment mafia" setting up temporary stalls for Eid in the bazaar. They said that the kiosks and stalls were illegal and they were cannabilizing buyers coming to their shops.

The protesters disrupted traffic after which the Yousuf Plaza police station dispatched a team to the protest area. The police convinced them to clear the road and assured them of action against such encroachers.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2023.