KARACHI: A clash occurred in Karachi between police and hundreds of individuals who had illegally occupied a piece of state-owned land opposite the University of Karachi.
The protesters, who had constructed more than 500 huts on the land, began a sit-in and blocked the University Road when the Karachi Development Authority’s (KDA) anti-encroachment staff, accompanied by police and Ranger personnel, arrived to evict them.
The protesters reportedly threw stones at the authorities and set their own structures on fire to halt the operation.
Seven anti-encroachment staff members were injured in the clashes.
Clash breaks out between police and encroachers in KarachiThe police used baton charges to disperse the violent protesters, mainly beggar families, some of whom were involved in criminal activities such as mugging, robbery, and drug trafficking.
The police also disclosed that the illegal settlement had become a hideout for criminals, including suspects in the recent killing of a student at NED University.
The occupation of the land also threatened the infrastructure of utilities, including the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and the Sui Southern Gas Company.
The KDA Director General noted that a main water conduit and a gas pipeline pass through the encroached land, posing a threat to the utility infrastructure.
