Kot-Lakhpat Vegetable Market and Ferozepur Road turned into a battlefield when hundreds of vegetable and fruit traders and police began a tussle after traders refusing to shift to the new location for the vegetable market.
A brutal brawl: Early on Monday,. City District Administration launched an operation with Kot Lakhpat police to vacate the vegetable market which had been scheduled to be moved to a location near Kahna Kaacha on Monday. Traders and union representatives had been communicated the orders one day prior to the operation but when CDGL officials arrived, a large number of cart vendors and Vegetable Market traders refused to vacate the premises and started protesting against the CGDL. The authorities and the police tried to pursue them to evacuate the area but they resisted and a brutal brawl between the police and the protesting traders broke out within no time.
Police baton charge: The police began a baton charge against the traders who had started pelting stones at police. Personnel from both sides were injured as the baton charge added fuel to an already volatile situation. Subsequently, protestors began damaging private vehicles parked near the vegetable market.
The chaos continued after a large contingent of police tried to contain the situation which had gotten out of hand after the protestors set a police vehicle on fire. The fight got worse as hurled stones hit and injured a number of policemen. Police fired tear gas shells at protestors and responded with aerial-firing.
Police measures unsettled protesters but they continued resistance by throwing tear-gas shells back at the police. Both sides sustained heavy injuries as blood-dripped down men’s heads and clothes amongst both police and protesters. However, no one was critically injured. The crowd finally dispersed after after heavy tear-gas shelling.
Arrests: The police arrested 140 people from the scene and registered FIRs against them under sections 7-ATA, 324, 149 and 148 of Pakistan Penal Code in the Liaqatabad Police Station. The accused were moved to the Model Town Jail where they were kept awaiting further action.
Meanwhile, the DCO and Commissioner Lahore addressed a press conference and assured strict action against all who defied the writ of the state, assaulted on-duty police officials and damaged public property. The DCO said that the decision to shift the vegetable market had been taken after consultations and an agreement with all traders and trade union representatives and they had been informed in advance to prevent a tussle from arising.
He said that the Kotlakhpat Market lacked in basic needs such as sewerage and cleanliness and therefore it needed to be shifted to a better facility. He said that the current market was situated over a 100 kanals of land whereas the new location was spread over 1045 kanals, making it a better option. He claimed those who assaulted police were illegal occupants.
He said that vegetable merchants had illegally leased out market land after acquiring licenses. He said the protestors were part of the extortionists.
Anjuman-e-Tajiran Kot Lakhpat President Chaudhry Mohammad Younus and General Secretary Master Abdul Razzaq endorsed the DCO’s statement claiming the protestors did not represent the vegetable markets’ traders. Shifting the vegetable market had been a long-standing demand of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Kot Lakhpat which has been implemented for the better, he concluded.
