January 10, 2003	Friday	Ziqa’ad 6, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Jan 9: Transporters went on a hunger strike ‘till death’ on Thursday in protest against, what they called, the local administration’s delaying tactics in resolving their problems.

The transporters have been protesting against the franchise of route no 7 to a private transport company. They conditionally called off their hunger strike last Thursday when the district Nazim assured them that they would be given alternative route in place of route no 7. But, later the administration started using delaying tactics in resolving the matter, the transporters alleged.

Hunger strike camps were set up near Pirwadhai Chowk. Dozens of transporters gathered there early Thursday morning and sat at the camps till late in the evening with about 40 of their vehicles lined up on both sides of the road. Banners were also displayed on the roadside.

“The district administration has shown total apathy towards our problems and so we have decided to go on with this hunger strike until two or three of us die here. We have to sacrifice for our transporter brethren,” the union president of the transporters’ association, told Dawn.

MNA Zamarud Khan and MPAs Malik Ibrar and Chaudhry Ayaz as well as local councillors visited the hunger strike camps and expressed solidarity with the transporters. They spoke against franchise and expressed their support to the transporters.

Mr Zamarud said just to give benefit to an individual, the government snatched route no 7 from hundreds of transporters. The district administration also deceived the poor transporters and did not fulfil its promise of giving alternative route to them, he added.

He asked the people gathered there to come out in protest on Sunday when the chief minister would visit the city.