KARACHI, March 28: After failure of talks with the provincial government over the issue of raising fuel prices, the transporters announced here on Monday a countrywide wheel-jam strike on March 30.

According to details, a big rally of the transporters from all over the country was held at Shireen Jinnah Colony Oil Terminal.

The rally was presided over by Chairman of Supreme Council of All Pakistan Transporters and All Pakistan Oil Tanker Owners Association Mir Mohammad Yousuf Shahwani.

The participants were of the view that their cooperation was taken by the government as their weakness.

They said that the transporters in the best interests of public had refrained from raising fares, but now the bureaucracy had forced them to go for protests.

They said that their doors would still be opened to meaningful talks with government officials.

They said that the March 30 strike had nothing to do with politics, as it was only in the interests of public and transporters community.

They also endorsed the proposed strike of Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) on April 6.

The participants of the rally demanded that the prices of petrol and diesel be brought down by Rs14 on priority basis. They also demanded to remove toll tax and protection from what they called the atrocities of NHA and Motorway police officials.

They warned that if their demands were not met all the transporters including goods transporters, owners of inter-city long route buses and oil tankers would go on strike on March 30. They warned that supply of oil, furnace oil, and edible oil would also be suspended.

The transport leaders also announced that the oil tankers had also unofficially suspended the supply of fuel and oil from Monday.—PPI