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KARACHI, April 9: Violence, involving police and transport workers, in Shireen Jinnah Colony continued for the second consecutive day, Saturday, as protesters lit bonfire and pelted vehicles with stones.
The transport workers have been observing an indefinite strike against frequent raise
in prices of petroleum products, and harassment of their drivers by police on highways. Police said they took action on Friday, sixth day of the strike, when some of the protesters made
an assistant superintendent
of police hostage in the colony. In the ensuing clash, over
a dozen people sustained injuries.
The Supreme Council of All Pakistan Transporters (SCAPT), which has given the strike call, has claimed that scores of protesters have been arrested on Saturday in addition to over 100 picked up on Friday.
However, police said that 13 people were rounded up on Saturday for breach of peace, raising the total number of arrests in two days to 67.
Amid tension in the locality, protesters hid themselves in narrow lanes and attacked police vehicles with stones. Police tossed tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
A heavy contingent of police, along with armoured personnel carriers, was sent to the area to bring the situation under control. Patrolling in the troubled area continued throughout the day.
“The situation is better than it was yesterday. It’s getting even better. We have removed stones and bonfire from the road,” TPO Saddar Dr Sanaullah Abbasi said.
He said that negotiations between the government and different groups of the oil tankers operators’ associations were under way for a settlement of the issues.
Meanwhile, SCAPT Chairman Yousaf Shawani has held the police responsible for the law and order situation, and accused them of “acting at the behest of the PSO management.
He demanded compensation to the drivers who had been laid off owing to the white pipeline, a 50 per cent quota for oil tankers from the pipeline, a separate terminus with all basic facilities for inter-city buses, trucks and oil tankers, etc.
