Police arrest 33 suspects after anti-encroachment drive turns violent at Shafiq Mor in Karachi.

Police in Karachi claimed to have arrested 33 suspects after violence erupted during an anti‑encroachment drive at Shafiq Mor. The operation began on Friday night when the district administration cleared the area around Haji Agha Hotel on Shah Waliullah Road in Samanabad. During the drive, hotel owner Mohammed Hashim and his employees attacked police and administration officials. Officers SHO Adeel Ahmed, constable Asif, and an administration official were injured. Police detained Hashim and three other suspects at the scene and shifted them to the police station. Later, suspect Jaffer Shah arrived with four to five armed guards in a double‑cabin vehicle. He called additional people to the site, resulting in roughly 100 people gathering there. The gathering blocked Shah Waliullah Road and F.B. Industrial Area Road. Members of the mob attacked police with stones and fired at them. Additional force and anti‑riot police were called, dispersing the mob and clearing the roads. A total of 30 suspects, including Jaffer Shah, were taken into custody during the operation. Police registered two FIRs against the held suspects on the complaint of the Mukhtiarakar of Samanabad and on behalf of the state, charging them with terrorism, rioting, and other offenses. Source: Dawn, August 9, 2026.