ISLAMABAD, Aug 14: The city police allegedly helped a real estate group get a piece of land near Islamabad Highway from the possession of its rival late Wednesday night, sources told Dawn.

They said the property developer group backed by heavy contingent of police, personnel of anti-terrorist squad, armed personnel carrier and a magistrate occupied land near Kak Bridge on Islamabad Highway.

The sources said Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Eden Housing Society had a land dispute due to which a cold war was ensuing between them. Eden Housing Society succeeded to get a case registered against its rival when they tried to occupy the land some days back.

However, on Wednesday evening, the Defence Housing Authority authorities brought armed men to the disputed land after which the rival party also brought its people armed with weapons.

The situation became tense in the area after which the DHA authorities made use of their contacts in the police department.

As a result, a heavy contingent of police, armed personnel carrier and a magistrate reached the spot on the pretext of controlling the situation.

However, the law enforcers, on the direction of their bosses, started supporting the Defence Housing Authority in its effort to occupy the land.

This situation prevailed for more than four hours during which scuffle as well as firing between the rival parties was also witnessed.

The police and the group it was supporting retreated from the area only to return late in the night along with the anti-terrorist squad to get the land vacated from the rival group, the sources said. The law enforcers succeeded to occupy the land for the DHA after midnight.

Interestingly, the police also registered a criminal case against the employees of Eden Housing Society on charge of attempting to commit murder, kidnapping, trespassing, rioting, and being armed with weapons.

The case was registered on the complaint of the DHA security manager, Col (retired) Khalilur Reham, in which he stated that a group of 15 to 20 armed men attacked the security guards of the authority with the intention of occupying land.

The attackers opened fire on the guards, snatched their weapons and also kidnapped seven guards.