KARACHI, May 24: The Pakhtun Action Committee (Loya Jirga) has said that the decision to defer the strike call was taken in the interest of peace and to thwart the conspiracies aimed at creating ethnic disturbances and negative propaganda against the Pakhtun community.
Speaking at a press conference, Shahi Syed said they had proved that the `PAC is a non-political organization’ and the government had to recognize it as such.
Mr Syed admitted that by this decision the PAC had suffered adverse effects, but they had to digest the bitter pill in the interest of their people.
He said the Sindh chief secretary had promised that the PAC demands would be accepted within 14 days, and added that if their demands were not met, they would go on strike on June 8, 9and 10.
Mr Shahi defended his decision saying that it had saved the city from a serious situation which could have been exploited by anti-Pakhtuns elements.
CS’S ASSURANCE: Chief Secretary of Sindh Shakil Durrani has assured the Pakhtun Action Committee of resolving all its genuine problems, including the demands for curbs on traffic police's highhandedness, payment of compensation for torched vehicles and the issue of inter-city bus stands.
He made this assurance during a meeting with a delegation of the PAC (Loya Jirga) comprising Mir Amir Nawab, Afsar Khan Masood, Aman Khan and Haji Karam Ali Khan at his office on Thursday. Provincial Secretary for Finance Malik Israr Hussain, Secretary for Transport Naseer Hayat, DCO of Karachi Javed Hanif, EDO for Revenue Mohammad Saleh Farooqui, Deputy Secretary for Implementation/Coordination Naukhez Anwar Siddiqui, Deputy Secretary for Transport Rashid Solangi and Deputy Secretary of Staff Saeed Saleh Jamali were also present.
The chief secretary said that every possible effort would be made to solve genuine problems of the PAC as per law and no promise would be made about issues which could not be resolved.
It was decided at the meeting that the DCO would present a report about the non-payment of compensation for vehicles torched from 1995 to date. The meeting also decided that the traffic police would be directed to challan vehicles as per law but avoid harassing drivers.
The meeting said the city district government would take steps about charging of parking fees of trucks while efforts would be made to stop the motorway police’s excesses.
The meeting said steps would also be taken to stop charging of double tax on Reti/Bajri trucks besides devising a strategy against encroachments.
The meeting said trackers should be installed across the city as per proposals of the transporters to prevent hijacking of vehicles. -- PPI
