KARACHI, May 13: The Supreme Council of the All Pakistan Transporters (SCAPT) on Tuesday threatened to observe a wheel-jam strike and suspend the upcountry transportation of goods on June 1, if their demands are not met and the stolen goods recovered.

Speaking at a press conference held at the press club, SCAPT chairman Yousaf Shawani, flanked by vice-chairman Malik Ahmed Khan and other office-bearers, said that a trailer (LSA-6486) was hijacked along with its driver and other staff in the early morning on April 15, in Sachal police limits on Super Highway.

Later, the staff was released at an isolated place near Sohrab Goth and the trailer was found abandoned and emptied in Gulzar-i-Hijri police limits, he said, adding that an FIR 59/2003 was registered with the Sachal police on the same day.

He claimed that during the scuffle between the driver and the hijackers, a national identity card of a hijacker was found and the police picked him up, who was identified as Nasrullah. On his lead, the police arrested Ali Akbar alias Babar.

Mr Shawani said that owners of Ahmed Electronics in Rahim Market, Lahore, found their stolen compact-disks’ head lenses being sold and informed the police.

The police picked up the sellers of the computer accessories and on their lead, they raided Aziz and Sultan Electronics, and Aqil Electronics in Karachi and picked up the suspected traders for allegedly selling the stolen accessories.

The SCAPT leader said that the police reached again to recover the stolen accessories on the lead provided by the arrested suspects in Karachi but by that time, the electronics market was closed on the instigation of the president of Karachi Electronics Dealers Association.

He demanded of the police to recover electronic goods besides all other stolen goods worth Rs7 million. All the suspects including their ring leader be arrested.

He also pointed out the problems they were facing with the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and the excise police and demanded their early solution.

Mr Shawani warned if their demands were not met, they would go on a strike on June 1, and park their trailers around electronics market, on Super Highway, National Highway and RCD Highway to block the traffic.

The protest would continue till the arrest of all the suspects and recovery of stolen goods, he added.

Saddar’s electronics market was closed on May 9, as the shopkeepers burned tyres and blocked a patch of Abdullah Haroon Road in protest against the detention of their fellow shopkeepers for allegedly selling stolen electronic items.

The trouble began when the officials of police investigation wing from Gulshan-i-Iqbal arrived at the market and picked up some shopkeepers.

The Karachi Electronics Dealers’ Association (KEDA) demanded the release of three detained shopkeepers.

KEDA president Mohammad Irfan later held a press conference at his association’s office and said: “They (shopkeepers in question) have all the evidence in their favour to prove themselves innocent but the police did not listen to them and picked them up.”

A police official, seeking anonymity, said they were investigating into the matter and would verify the evidence provided by the KEDA.