SUKKUR: A team of Pakistan Railways officials, with the help of police, bulldozed with heavy machinery shops, houses and other structures illegally built on railways’ land in and around Regent Phatak, Nouman Islam Park and SSP office here on Thursday.

The drive against encro­achments on PR land in Sukkur district had been launched on the directives of federal government and railways minister and divisional superintendent had been tasked with clearing railways property of illegal constructions, said PR officials.

PR police provided security to the team during the removal of encroachments, said officials, adding that a few people did try to obstruct the operation and threatened to take the PR officials to court but the team went ahead with the demolition.

The officials said that a notice had been served on residents of the marked areas who had encroached upon PR land, asking them to vacate the land within stated period, otherwise the PR team would take action against their properties and remove the illegal constructions.

But the affectees of the operation expressed dissatisfaction over the drive and said that only homes and shops owned by poor and helpless people were being bulldozed so as to make another file for record.

They said that if the drive had been indiscriminate then the team would have razed houses, structures, offices and shops as well owned by advocates, media persons and influential persons near Shalimar Phatak area.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2021