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KARACHI, May 12: The City District Government Karachi has decided not to increase the fare of the Urban Transport Service (UTS) buses and coaches for the time being. In a statement, the City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, on Thursday criticized the increase in public transport fares by the Sindh government, saying it would overburden masses.
He said that the city government had decided not to allow any increase in fares of UTS buses and coaches as it wanted to provide relief to people wherever and whenever it was possible.
Under its policy, the city government did not impose any new taxes in its draft budget of 2005-2006.
The Sindh government on Wednesday had announced an upward revision in public transport fares.
PPP: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Karachi Division has criticised the recent increase in public transport fares and termed it anti-people, adds PPI.
PPP Karachi President Division Rashid Rabbani, Rafique Engineer, Raheel Iqbal and others in a statement demanded that this “cruel decision” be taken back, and instead citizens be provided with better transport facilities.
CONVENTION: A ‘workers convention’ of Jamaat-i-Islami on Thursday strongly condemned the increase in public transport fares, adds PPI.
The convention held at the Idara-i-Noor-i-Haq, through resolutions demanded of the government to withdraw increase in public transport fares and decrease hike in petroleum prices.
Terming the increase an anti-people decision, the convention said it was proof of government’s apathy, as it was continuously increasing public transport fare, and was taking no steps to decrease petroleum products prices.
They said that the policy was aimed crippling the masses.
It strongly criticized the provincial government, and said that the City Nazim Karachi was not taken into confidence on the issue of public transport fares.
The convention lauded the City Government for not increasing fares of UTS buses.
