Fearing for their homes, people attack the police

KARACHI: A misunderstanding led to the police coming under attack when it went to Yaro Goth in New Karachi to disperse a protest over power cuts.

The residents, thinking that the police had arrived to remove them from their land, gathered in large numbers and started pelting stones. A crowd had gathered at New Chowrangi and suspended traffic between New Karachi and Surjani Town with a sit-in to protest unscheduled power cuts and the resulting water shortages.

The misunderstanding was understandable, given that only a few weeks ago the court had passed an order for the evacuation of the goth. Officially known as Gulshani- Shahbaz, the goth is located behind Stylish Garden in New Karachi.

It was allegedly occupied by the land mafia, which sold and renamed it Yaro Goth. Residents of the goth pelted the police with stones, forcing them to retreat. “The police decided not to fire at the mob to avoid a law and order situation,” said Additional SHO Surjani Town Atif Ahmad, adding that a heavy contingent of the police, comprising 25 vans and over 100 officials, was unable to control the crowd.

The police, however, plan to return to carry out the evacuations. According to officials, the goth was divided into plots and illegally sold to people, who built their homes and settled there.