Karachi’s Mehmoodabad Nullah anti-encroachment drive postponed to next week
Thursday's operation delayed due to protests
Photo: Online
The anti-encroachment operation along the Mehmoodabad Nullah in Karachi has been delayed till next week.
This is the second time the operation has been postponed. The first was on Thursday after a massive crowd of protesters pelted KMC and police teams with stones and forced them to abandon the anti-encroachment operation.
A coordination committee met on Friday at the District East deputy commissioner’s office to set a new strategy for the operation.
The meeting was chaired by East Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Shah and attended by the district administration, KMC and police.
The meeting decided to postpone the operation till next week. It was originally supposed to resume on Saturday (November 21).
Earlier, a letter was issued about the operation by the office of the East additional deputy commissioner-I stating that the drive was scheduled on Saturday at 9am.
East Additional Deputy Commissioner Irfan Mirwani told SAMAA Digital that a coordination committee meeting was held in which it was decided that the encroachment operation along the Mehmoodabad Nullah would be postponed to next week.
“Another meeting in this regard is to be held on Monday in which a strategy for conducting the anti-encroachment operation will be finalised,” Mirwani added.
The operation is being conducted on the orders of the Supreme Court.
The protesters destroyed the main gate and walls of the Manzoor Colony Fire Station, where the police and KMC teams had taken refuge. They also damaged KMC machinery and vehicles. Two KMC anti-encroachment department staff were also injured.
The protesters also blocked the Korangi Expressway, Korangi Causeway, Shaheed-e-Millat Road and adjacent service roads during the protest.
Later, the Jamshed Town SP took control of the situation and negotiated with a delegation of protesters.
