ARIFWALA - Angry shopkeepers attacked officials of the Tehsil Municipal Authority anti-encroachment team after they launched an operation for the removal of illegal structure at Karkhana Bazaar, following the expiry of a deadline, here the other day. The shopkeepers destroyed a TMA tractor and two other vehicles after setting fire to them. They also thrashed a TMA worker who was rushed to THQ Hospital but was referred to Sahiwal due to his critical condition. Moreover, the police resorted to baton charge to bring the situation under control. According to detail, Arifwala Assistant Commissioner Rizwan Nazir issued a weel-long deadline for the removal of encroachments voluntarily to shopkeepers. However, upon expiry of the deadline, the TMA anti-encroachment team comprised of Administrator Rizwan Nazir, Tehsil Officer Regulation Hafiz Khalid Irshad, Tehsil Municipal Officer Uzair Anwar, Mian Aslam Nadeem, Sardar Hassan along with other staffers launched operation against encroachment at Karkhana Bazaar. Meanwhile, angry shopkeepers and their representatives gathered their and started pelting stones at the TMA officials. All of sudden, the bazaar was turned into a battle field. The mob set a TMA tractor on fire and broken a car, Jeep and another tractor, damaging all the vehicles completely. The situation turned ugly to the extent that all the TMA staffers had to flee the scene to save their lives. Upon information, the local police also rushed to the scene and started baton charge to disperse the crowd. All the shopkeepers shut their shops and went on a shutter down strike. The protesters also caught a TMA staffer namely Nadeem and tortured him badly. He was rushed to THQ Hospital but was referred to Sahiwal Hospital in critical condition. Following the incident, all the TMA staff including the sanitary workers staged a sit-in and demanded the arrest of the culprits. Meanwhile, MNA Rana Zahid Hussain Khan also reached the spot and calmed the angry mob down. On the other hand, the deadline for the removal of encroachments from the area was extended to the next week. The traders assured the District Officer Revenue (DO-R) that they would remove all encroachment voluntarily within the new deadline. MNA Rana Zahid Hussain facilitated negotiation between the administration and traders.