RAHIM YAR KHAN    -  More than 40 shops were burnt on Friday night in a fire erupting at the Landa Bazar near Railway station Sadiqabad.

Rescue sources told that fire erupted in a shop due to short circuit in substandard electrical wiring after a heavy duststorm and soon engulfed other shops of the market located between the Railway Road and the main Railway track. According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Adnan Shabbir 6 Rescue 1122 fire-engines and the fire-fighters extinguished the blaze in a two-hour long operation in which vehicles of  Fauji Fertilizer Company also participated.

He said that there were used clothes worth Rs 24 million in these shops and loss of Rs 4 million is estimated. According to citizens the used clothes market was established on prime location land of  Pakistan Railways along the southern side of the main track but there were no proper safety and security measures.

They said that its 8th or 9th fire incident during last few years at this market but Railways authorities never paid any attention to the issue.

During current incident three LPG gas cylinders also burst in the market which could cause a big loss along casualties.

The lessees pay a chunk of their illegal rent monthly to the PR officials who in return condone the illegality,they alleged.

PR spokesperson Hamdaan told this correspondent that a large operation was conducted in April to get possession from illegal occupants near Railway station Sadiqabad and some shops were took over by railway authorities. Later in the month of Ramazan,when Railway team reached there to get possession of its whole grabbed land by used market traders,district administration stopped the Railway team from action.

Hamdaan further told that maximum illegal occupants have political backing also which was another hurdle for operation.

However Railway authorities will get their prime location land soon to ensure safety of citizens and security of Railway installations,he claimed.

RYK Deputy Commissioner Dr Khuram Shehzad told that district administration is going to conduct a large operation at this land soon and will eject all the land grabbers and encroachers from this prime location land.

He said that citizens of Sadiqabad will see this land vacated in days because he instructed Assistant Commissioner Sadiqabad in this regard.

However he denied the claim of Railway spokesperson that district administration had stopped any Railway operation in month of this Ramazan.