SHANGLA: The trucks of Northern Areas Transport Corporation (Natco) have been parked in Bisham for the last few days as filling station has stopped providing fuel to them owing to nonpayment of its bills.

The Natco truckers supply wheat to Gilgit-Baltistan. The drivers of the stranded trucks told Dawn that it had been fourth consecutive day that they had parked their vehicles in Bisham owing to non-availability of fuel.

Abdul Qayum, a driver from Gilgit, said that the management of the filling station contracted by Natco told him that it had no fuel.

He said that on the one hand Natco had not paid their salaries for the last three months and on the other it was not ensuring provision of fuel to their vehicles.

Mohammad Wali, another driver, said that there were no arrangements of accommodation for them and they were forced sleep under their trucks. He said that their management in Rawalpindi told them that it would send money to them for fuel but the amount was not sent so far.

The management of the filling station, when contacted, said that owing to nonpayment of the outstanding bills it did not buy more oil so the station lacked petroleum products.

ARRESTED: Police have arrested six more activists of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for holding protest against the arrest of their leader Imran Khan last week.

Aloch police station SHO Khurshid Ali Khan told Dawn that they had lodged FIR against more than 50 PTI activists on August 10. He said that seven of them including Puran tehsil chairman Abdul Maula were arrested the same day. They were sent to jail and later released on bail.

He said six more were arrested on Tuesday, produced before the court and sent to a prison in Swat.

The SHO said that the arrested persons included Waqar Ahmad, Najeebullah, Ziaur Rehman, Anis Khan, Sher Akbar Khan and Shahzad Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2023