KARACHI, Jan 26: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has warned the provincial government of public outrage if it fails to withdraw the increase in transport fare.

Addressing a news conference, MMA members of the national and provincial assemblies, Mohammad Hussain Mehnati, Molana Umar Sadiq, Nasrulah Shaji and others bitterly criticized the government decision to increase petrol and diesel prices together with transport fare. They alleged that the provincial government had failed in providing relief to the people.

The MMA leaders declared that they would stage a protest rally outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday. In this connection, they added that the MMA would contact the PPP and other political parties and groups.

They were of the view that recent hike in POL products and transport fare had exposed the governments anti-people policies. After October 2002 elections, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had the lion's share in the provincial government, they said. The MMA leaders said that people had hoped that their problems would be solved.

On the contrary, people had been loosing job, prices were soaring up and the people had to pay more for wheat owing to manipulated shortage of the crop, they alleged.

Mohammad Hussain Mehnati said that people were shocked by 20 per cent increase in transport fare, announced by the provincial government on Jan 24 by invoking powers under the Sindh Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1964. The increase had been allowed on the premise that transporters would replace smoke emitting vehicles and avoid over-loading, he said. None of these conditions had been fulfilled by the transporters in the past, he added.