BAJAUR, Feb 8: The political administration of the Bajaur Agency has arrested 20 more leaders of transporters in a crackdown on Saturday, and sent them to jail.

The authorities had also impounded 17 non-customs-paid vehicles belonging to some of the transporters participating in a wheel-jam strike.

The administration was already holding six transporters on charges of disrupting public life by taking part in the strike.

The crackdown was launched following the failure of talks between the transporters and the administration officials to bring the wheel-jam strike to an end which has been continuing for the last five days creating difficulties for the public.

The transporters have taken their vehicles off the roads to press the demand for increase in the transport fares to match the rising oil prices in the market.

According to sources in the All-Bajaur Transporters Association, a final round of talks was held between the representatives of transporters and the local administration on Saturday, following which the administration launched a crackdown against the transporters in the Mamond areas of the agency.

The sources said that the administration had agreed to make a reasonable increase in the transport fares after the Eidul Azha, but the transporters did not agree and refused to call off the strike. In the ensuing operation, 20 prominent transporters’ leaders were arrested and sent to jail, they said.

The detained transporters include Fatehur Rehman, Malik Suleman Khan, Akbar Khan, Shamsur Rehman, Malik Waheed Khan, Malik Faqir Gul, Ahmad Jan and others.