• PR police say step taken to protect federal assets following ‘recent incidents’• Both sides have already lodged cases against each other over scuffle between city wardens and PR policemen KARACHI: In a clear sign of further escalation of tensions between the KMC and Pakistan Railways, the federal institution has called in additional forces from different parts of the country “equipped with arms and ammunition” to protect its assets and key points in Karachi, warning that it will respond with “full force” if any individual or institution challenges its authority. The dispute is the KMC’s Rs780 million road construction project linking Natha Khan Bridge with Pehlwan Goth, as both the federal and municipal authorities claim ownership of the land. The two sides have already lodged cases against each other, accusing one another of serious offences, including terrorism and kidnapping, while senior officials of both institutions have vowed that they would not back down from their respective positions. On Sunday the railways police stopped the construction of the dual carriageway between Natha Khan Bridge and Pehlwan Goth and Habib University, running parallel to Chakor Nullah. The railways maintained that the project encroaches on the land belonging to the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and that the construction was without authorisation. A scuffle had also broken out when KMC City Wardens Dire­ctor Saim Imran arrived at the scene, followed by heated arguments between the two sides. The KMC alleged PR policemen assaulted the City Wardens director before taking him to the railways police station. Although the City Wardens director was released after hours of talks between the two sides, the KMC high-ups moved the Sharea Faisal police to lodge an FIR against the PR police officials for kidnapping and assaulting their officer. The matter did not end there, piles of garbage were found the next day outside the PR offices and the residence of one of its senior officials, raising suspicions among the officials that the waste had been dumped by the municipal body’s officials. Later on, a heavy contingent of Sharea Faisal police “raided” the Cantonment Railway Station to arrest suspects allegedly involved in the “kidnapping, torture and illegal confinement” of the KMC City Wardens director. In a tit-for-tat move, the railways lodged an FIR against KMC officials later in the evening, accusing them of offences including terrorism. In a fresh move, Pakistan Railways has decided to call in additional personnel from Sukkur and Multan for deployment in Karachi. It already has a force of more than 500 personnel in the city. In separate letters to senior Pakistan Railways police officials in the two cities, the department has asked them to release a certain number of personnel “along with arms and ammunition” for deployment in Karachi. When contacted, SP Pakistan Railways Police Karachi Khurram Khursheed confirmed the move, saying that the additional force had been called in as a “precautionary measure” following “recent incidents”, including an attack on a railway police station and the dumping of garbage outside railway offices and the residence of one of its senior officials. “The railway police force is usually deployed on trains, at stations, key points, Pakistan Railways offices and the residences of senior officials,” he told Dawn. “The additional personnel will join the existing force to strengthen security. Under its mandate, the railway police are responsible for protecting Pakistan Railways’ assets and key points. We hope the additional deployment will help the force perform its duties more effectively.” Meanwhile, the KMC has continued work on the Natha Khan-Pehalwan Goth road to complete it by the end of this month. “The work was temporarily halted when Pakistan Railways police intervened but it resumed the very next day,” a KMC official said. “Talks between senior officials of the two sides are ongoing but the issue remains unresolved. Pakistan Railways insists that the land belongs to it while the KMC is determined to complete the project without interruption. The KMC has fulfilled all legal requirements before launching the project more than two months ago. This is a major project that will benefit the people and any attempt to undermine its potential or put it at risk would be detrimental to the interests of Karachi’s residents.” Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2026