14 February 2004	Saturday	22 Zilhaj 1424

PESHAWAR, Feb 13: The Sarhad Transport Workers Confederation will stage a long-march to protest against what they called the customs officials' highhandedness.

This was stated by president of the confederation M. Zahir Shah Yousafzai while speaking at a news conference here on Friday. Demanding transfer of the director of the customs intelligence, he said they would observe a token strike on Feb 16, followed by a long-march to the prime minister's secretariat in Islamabad if their demand was not met.

Flanked by other office-bearers of the confederation, he said that a customs squad had opened indiscriminate firing on a Lahore-bound bus on Feb 11 on the pretext of smuggling.

The vehicle, he said had already been checked by customs officials at the Kund check-post, but was again stopped by another customs squad a little ahead of Kund. The firing, he said, had damaged the vehicle but nobody was hurt in the incident.