By Our Special Correspondent
LAHORE: One labourer was reportedly hospitalised following a confrontation during an enforcement operation at Lahore’s Tolinton Market, according to Tollinton Market Traders’ Welfare Association Lahore Chairman Tariq Javed, who also disputed reports of a 1,200-kilogram dead-chicken seizure during the operation.
Javed said the injured labourer was taken to Fatima Memorial Hospital, where he was receiving treatment and his condition was described as serious.
According to Javed, the operation involved teams from the Punjab Food Authority, Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) and Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA), along with the Assistant Commissioner Model Town’s team.
Javed said several shops were sealed and fines were imposed during the operation. He said a confrontation developed after traders questioned the action, during which one labourer was injured.
Javed claimed the labourer was struck during the confrontation and subsequently required hospital treatment. The Tribune International has not independently verified the circumstances of the reported injury.
Javed also disputed reports circulating on television that 1,200 kilograms of dead chicken had been seized during the operation, describing the report as false and fabricated.
The newspaper has not independently verified the reported quantity of any seized chicken or the circumstances surrounding the alleged seizure.
Video footage provided to The Tribune International shows a gathering and confrontation at the market. However, the footage does not independently establish what led to the confrontation or determine responsibility for the reported injury.
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Javed also said traders and labourers protested on the roads following the operation and claimed that police subsequently detained some people.
The Tribune International contacted Abdul Fatir Khan, Assistant Commissioner Model Town, several times by phone and also sent a WhatsApp message seeking his version of the operation, reported injury, shop sealings, fines, alleged seizure and police action. No response was received at the time of publication.
The newspaper will incorporate the official version if a response is received later.
