More than 100 shops located on police property in Hyderabad were sealed late Monday night, triggering protests by traders and escalating tensions between shopkeepers and police at Chhoti Ghitti. According to the Hyderabad District Police spokesperson, State Officer Salahuddin, accompanied by a heavy police contingent, sealed around 100 shops in a market adjacent to City Police Station at Chhoti Ghitti in light of Supreme Court directives.
Heated Exchange and Physical Altercation
After receiving information about the sealing operation, shopkeepers rushed to the site, where a heated exchange and physical altercation reportedly took place between police personnel and traders. Police later sealed the shops, following which traders surrounded City Police Station and staged a protest at Chhoti Ghitti, raising slogans against the police.
Traders Deny Disputes, Claim No Prior Notice
Affected shopkeepers claimed there was no dispute over the shops in Hyderabad and alleged that the matter was taken to court unnecessarily. They said a case regarding the shops is currently pending before the Supreme Court, with the next hearing scheduled for July 10, 2026. The traders said they had cleared all previous payments for the shops but that the premises were sealed without prior notice during the night. They added that goods worth millions of rupees were inside the shops and warned that Hyderabad could be shut down if the seals were not removed immediately.
Political Leaders Visit Protest Camp
Several political leaders visited the protest camp set up by traders, including MQM-P Pakistan's MNA Syed Waseem Hussain, MPA Rashid Khan and Hyderabad Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Tahir Majeed. They met traders and assured them of their support. On Tuesday, affected shopkeepers established a protest camp outside the sealed shops at Chhoti Ghitti, where traders and employees remained present throughout the day.
Chamber of Commerce and Police Respond
Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Adeel Siddiqui, PTI Hyderabad district president Mohsin Ghuman, Advocate Faisal Mughal and other leaders also visited the camp. Adeel Siddiqui said the situation arose due to a lack of communication, adding that police have properties in 15 districts whose reports are to be submitted before the Supreme Court. He said a meeting was held with SSP Hyderabad Shahzeb Chachar, who assured full cooperation. He added that the chamber would present its position through its lawyer in the Supreme Court hearing on July 10. "Chhoti Ghitti is the heart of Hyderabad and we will not allow it to be shut down," Siddiqui said, adding that traders had suffered losses worth billions of rupees due to the closure of shops. Meanwhile, SSP Hyderabad Shahzeb Chachar said the Supreme Court had issued clear orders to take police properties into custody and submit a report, which led to the action.
