Islamabad [Pakistan], April 15 (ANI) An anti-encroachment drive by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad descended into violence, exposing growing tensions between authorities and marginalised residents.

Two government vehicles were set on fire by protesters during the operation in Noor Pur Shahan, located near Bari Imam, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, the situation worsened rapidly as locals resisted the demolition campaign, which they viewed as unjust and heavy-handed. Demonstrators clashed with officials, pelting stones and attempting to halt the operation. In response, law enforcement agencies resorted to tear gas to disperse the crowd, further escalating the confrontation.

Additional police units were deployed as the unrest intensified and spread across the area. Eyewitness accounts suggest that panic and anger gripped the locality as bulldozers moved in under heavy security, leaving many residents fearing displacement. CDA spokesperson Shahid Kayani defended the drive, stating that the authority was acting within legal bounds after a court stay order was lifted.

He maintained that the action was authorised by judicial approval and aimed at removing illegal structures. However, the justification has done little to quell criticism over the timing and execution of the operation. The Islamabad High Court had recently suspended earlier directives that protected certain settlements from forced eviction. These directives, initially issued by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, had prohibited coercive action and called for the development of model villages, as cited by The Express Tribune.

With those protections now removed, authorities have resumed demolition activities in previously safeguarded areas. The roots of the conflict date to a 2015 Supreme Court stay order imposing a moratorium on summary evictions. In December 2025, several political and civil society groups, including the Awami Workers Party, urged the judiciary to uphold that protection, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)