FAISALABAD: Scores of railway colony residents staged a sit-in on the track and blocked the Pakistan Express here on Monday in Mansoorabad and threw stones at the engine in protest against an anti-encroachment operation.

The railway administration launched the operation against encroachments and demolished some houses in railway colony. During the operation, women put up resistance and tried to foil the drive.

Later, colony residents turned up on Abdullahpur Road, blocked traffic for some time and then moved towards the nearby railway track and staged a sit-in there.

The protesters threw stones at the engine and damaged its front screen.

They blocked the train for about half an hour and kept chanting slogans against the railway administration.

After receipt of information, the riot police rushed to the spot and baton-charged the protesters.

The agitators dispersed when the railway administration with the help of local police held talks with them and assured them that injustice would not be done to them.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2014