KARACHI, May 21: The Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) on Monday announced its support to the three-day wheel-jam strike called by the Pakhtun Action Committee (PAC), and said the decision was in protest against leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) who were repeatedly victimising the transporters.
The KTI said the buses, mini-buses, coaches, taxis, rickshaws, yellow cabs, dumpers, trucks and trailers would remain off the roads. It warned that if they were forced to call off the strike the three-day period would be extended.
A meeting of the KTI was held here with Syed Irshad Hussain Shah Bukhari in the chair. It was largely attended by transporters who decided that they would keep their vehicles off the roads during the three-day strike, May 25 to 27, to force the government to pay compensation of the burnt and damaged vehicles.
Participants of the meeting said the vehicles were taken away by the MQM’s sector and unit heads at gunpoint from various areas of the city and they threatened the timekeepers and drivers of dire consequences if they resisted.
It was stated that on May 10 one of the MQM to leaders, Saleem Shehzad, telephoned from London to the KTI general secretary and asked him for providing vehicles on a full-day rent basis, but the promise was not kept and the vehicles were taken away at gunpoint on May 10 and 11.
The transporters expressed their concern over the situation that the vehicles, containers, trailers, busses and minibuses taken away for the rally were either set ablaze or badly damaged on May 12, but no police or Rangers were present to take action against the vandals.
They recalled that their vehicles were burnt in the wake of the Nishtar Park bomb blast but compensation was not yet paid. They added that vehicles were also used in many other rallies in the recent past, but the payment was not made.
They said the government was not taking the transporters’ problems seriously and the entire population was at the mercy of a particular party in the city which believed it was accountable to no one.
The transporters also expressed their annoyance over the soaring prices of petroleum products and said they were faced with many problems, but the government was not serious in solving them. They appreciated the efforts of the PAC for the transporters and assured it of their full support.
SGTTA: The Sindh Goods Trucks and Trailers Association has also seconded the PAC’s three-day strike call and stated that there would be a complete strike across the country.
A meeting of the association was held with its president Al-Hajj Malik Ahmed Khan in the chair. The meeting was attended by many transporters.
Speakers at the meeting warned the government to ensure payment of compensation, daily charges for rally duties and return of the documents of vehicles to the transporters concerned.
General Secretary of SGTTA Malik Javaid Awan, Abdur Rahim Shah, Mushtaq Memon, Raja Abdul Ghafoor, Javaid Memon, Nabiullah, Azmat Niazi, Ismail Qamar, Abdur Rehman, Shoaib Baloch, Ismail Awan, Malik Zahid Awan, Haji Ghulam Ahmed, Ghani Bhai Malik Mushtaq and Suhail Memon also spoke.
They condemned the trend of road blocking with vehicles and warned the Sindh government to stop this illegal practice which could add to the unrest.
STRIKE OPPOSED: Karachi Transport Owners Association President Raja Mohammad Rafiq has opposed the strike, saying some people wanted to create riots in an attempt to halt the development process in the country.
He said the transporters were being tormented by setting their vehicles on fire during strikes despite they had no links to any party. He said that a conspiracy was being hatched to deprive transporters of their livelihood by torching their vehicles, and they were also being compelled to take part in the strike.
Raja Mohamma Rafiq asked the government to ensure early payment of compensation for the torched vehicles and devise a strategy that no one dared burn vehicles in the future. He said they were against strikes but if they were not provided security and compensation immediately, they would take part in the strike.
