KHAR: All the filling stations across Bajaur tribal district remained closed on Saturday in protest against the district administration for imposing heavy fines and arresting some owners.

The filling stations owners went on strike after the district administration refused to accept their demands that their colleagues arrested for allegedly overcharging the consumers should be released and that the officials stop imposing heavy fines on the stations.

The leaders of all Bajaur petroleum association during a press conference on Friday had expressed concern over imposition of heavy fines and arrest of filling stations owners and workers, and warned of launching a strike for an indefinite period if their colleagues were not set free till Friday evening.

However, the district administration ignored the association’s warning and refused to even talk to its leaders on the issue.

Following the expiry of the deadline, owners of the filling stations launched the strike across the district.

Talking to reporters, the association’s president Sulman Khan said their strike would continue till the administration released the filling stations’ owners and workers and stopped collecting fines from the owners in the name of fines.

He termed the administration’s action wrong, unjust and only meant to fleece the owners of filling stations in name of fines and penalties.

He said filling stations would remain closed till the administration stopped penalising the filling stations’ owners.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2019