The Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Wednesday opened an inquiry into allegations of grabbing government land in Karachi involving two Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers.

An exercise by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in Taiser Town on Tuesday to mark government land had turned into a violent episode when two PTI legislators — MNA Aftab Jehangir and MPA Rabistan Khan — turned up at the spot with their respective supporters and accused each other of supporting encroachments in the area, leading to a brawl between their groups.

Though the police stayed silent on the incident, a video of the brawl between supporters of MNA Jehangir and MPA Rabistan had gone viral on social media, showing them hurling allegations against each other of seizing government land and grabbing people’s property.

The incident had occurred in Sector-6C of the area where the KDA staff stood surprised when dozens of area residents came to protest against alleged encroachment of their land by the “mafia”.

The protesters were later joined by the PTI MNA and then Rabistan, each with dozens of their supporters. As the KDA team was returning after executing its job, the supporters of the two legislators locked horns, accusing each other of being members of the “mafia” and encroachers. The heated arguments turned into a brawl, forcing the leaders to escape the scene.

The ACE on Wednesday formed a high-level inquiry committee headed by its deputy director for district East to ascertain the allegations levelled by the two PTI lawmakers against each other. The body will submit its inquiry report within two weeks.

"Legal action will be taken against the elements involved [in alleged land grabbing] in light of the report," said Murtaza Wahab, the adviser to the chief minister on anti-corruption.

He said those occupying state land will be brought to book, "no matter how influential they may be".