KARACHI, Jan 19: Police foiled an attempt by transporters to hold a rally on M. A. Jinnah Road on Saturday morning, took 32 drivers and conductors into custody and seized their 22 vehicles.

One of the major transporters’ organizations in the city, the Karachi Transport Federation (KTF), had planned to stage a rally in protest against the increase in diesel prices in the past two consecutive fortnights, police’s action against drivers under section 279 of CrPC and cancellation of licences of drivers, etc. The KTF had asked its allied bodies of transporters to reach in front of Capri Cinema on M. A. Jinnah Road where a protest rally was to be organized.

However, the KTF’s rival group — the Karachi Transport Ittehad — had announced that it would not allow its allied bodies to participate in the rally.

Heavy contingents of law-enforcement agencies were deployed at the place from where the rally was to begin. As transporters started assembling, police used force to disperse them and took 32 drivers and conductors into custody. They also seized about 22 buses and minibuses. The road remained open to traffic. Commuters, however, complained that they got their buses after much delay.

KTF chief Saleem Khan Bangash, who was also in the custody of Soldier Bazaar police, said: “We have planned to stage a peaceful rally, but police arrested our drivers and seized our buses.”

He said the KTF had protested against the arrest of drivers of public transport vehicles under section 279 of CrPC. As the drivers did not have money to deposit in courts for their release on bail, so hundreds of them were still behind the bars. He said there was section 99 of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance under which police could arrest drivers for 1-2 days.

He said the regular fluctuation in prices of diesel had made it difficult for them to continue their business.

He warned that if the government failed to rectify the grievances of transporters, a wheel-jam strike would be observed on Wednesday, Jan 23.