LOWER DIR: The local transporters and workers of different political parties here on Wednesday demanded of the government and inspector general of police to stop taking action against the reassembled non-custom paid vehicles in Malakand division.

Talking to local journalists, they said that district administration in Lower Dir, Swat and others districts of Malakand division had started action against reassembled NCP vehicles.

They added that such vehicles owned by low income families were being confiscated by police.

Jamaat-i-Islami youth district president Farooq Hameedullah, JI tehsil general secretary Sahibzada Ahmad Jan, former tehsil nazim Lal Qila Fazal Wadood and others told journalists that Malakand division was a free-tax zone and the area had been affected by militancy, earthquakes and floods in the past.

They said that reassembled NCP vehicles were owned by poor families due to their low cost.

They said that administration should confiscate the vehicles, which had wielded or tampered chassis numbers.

They said that most of the youth had purchased reassembled vehicles to use them as taxicabs and they should be allowed to continue the service.

They said that only source of income of the majority of the families was working abroad that had also suffered due to Covid-19 pandemic.

They demanded of the local lawmakers to raise a voice against the government’s decision of banning the reassembled NCP vehicles in parts of Malakand division.

Also in the day, the transporters threatened to bring owners of reassembled vehicles along with their families on the roads if the district administration and police did not stop action against such vehicles.

Meanwhile, a delegation of local elders met with the district police officer at his office and informed him about the transporters’ grievances regarding the issue.

The DPO told them that the action was being taken on the directives of the Mingora circuit bench of Peshawar High Court.

The head of traffic police, Shad Mohammad, told this scribe that approximately 70,000 to 80,000 scrapped and reassembled vehicles of different kinds were plying on roads in the district.

He said that police were duty bound to implement the verdict of the high court.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2020