Protest against removal of encroachment in Therhi

Khairpur July 4, 2009: Score of protestors protested on Therhi Railway Phatak for about three hours on Saturday against demolishing their construction on Jail road and its surrounding area. Reports said that Taluka Municipal Administration (TMA) Khairpur along with police constables demolished the said construction on Saturday late night which was constructed some years ago. The demolished construction included small shops, two hotels and other construction.
The demolishing took place in order to remove encroachments on directives of high officials, TMA sources said. When the owners and other related people saw the demolition on Saturday morning at about 10 am they protested against it and blocked both doors of Therhi Railway Phatak.
The protestors also set on fire tyres on Sukkur-Khairpur road and other surrounding link roads which connect Khairpur and Sukkur. Due to this a huge traffic towards Sukkur, Nawabshah and Khairpur was suspended for about three hours. The protestors raised slogans against TMA Khairpur and the police and said that they had been carrying out their trade activities there since last many years to earn their bread and butter.
They added that the action has given a practical example of snatching bread and butter from common people in today’s democratic government tenure.
The police tried to convince the protestors to end their demonstration but failed to do so. Ahmed Ali Qureshi, the EDO (Revenue) Khairpur met the protestors on the protest spot as representative of District Administration Khairpur and held talks with the protestors. The EDO (Revenue) Khairpur asked the owners of construction to show their property papers and ownership records so that they may be provided with justice in the matter. He further asked them to hold a meeting wherein versions of TMA and the owners would be listened.
Thereof, the protestors ended their demonstration peacefully. Some sources said that some passenger trains including both up and down were stopped at Rohri and Khairpur Railway station due to the demonstration; but the Railway authorities did not confirm it.