Tensions ran high during a Tando Adam Municipal Committee meeting as councillors strongly opposed the auction of public properties, leading to a heated altercation, bottle-throwing, and a sit-in protest by local workers.
The meeting, chaired by Municipal Committee Chairman Ghulam Murtaza Junejo, descended into chaos after Councillor Lala Umair Pathan accused Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) Abdul Hameed Malik of legalizing the auction through forged signatures.
The CMO denied the charge, calling the councillor a liar, which triggered a verbal spat that nearly turned physical. Councillor Imtiaz Arai attempted to grab the CMO but was restrained by fellow councillors. Amid the commotion, he threw a water bottle at the CMO, causing further uproar.
Twenty-four councillors, including Lala Ayub, Malik Zulfiqar Roshan, Sardar Amir Hussain Khaskheli, and others, presented a resolution against the auction of public properties. After extensive debate, it was decided that no construction would take place at the donkey cart stand or Station Naka. Instead, the stand will be repaired, and a tuck shop in the municipal park will be demolished to restore the park.
In separate press conferences, councillors Lala Ayub and Malik Zulfiqar clarified that the donkey cart stand would not be auctioned but renovated.
Meanwhile, donkey cart operators staged a four-hour sit-in protest in front of the municipal office and press club, blocking MA Jinnah Road. Protesters demanded the immediate cancellation of plans to replace the donkey cart stand with a shopping plaza, warning it would rob poor workers of their livelihood.
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