KARACHI, May 9: The Karachi Transport Owners Federation on Tuesday alleged that on the pretext of a drive against smoke-emitting vehicles, more Bhatta of thousands of rupees was being demanded from transporters.

If transporters refused to pay Bhatta, they would get their vehicles, even those technically fit, implicated in one or the other case, it added.Al-Haj Malik Ahmed Khan, Raja Mohammad Rafiq and other office-bearers of the association warned of a ‘full-fledged historic strike’ if the atrocities against transporters were not stopped henceforth.

They appealed to President Gen Pervez Musharraf to take notice of the treatment meted out to transporters in Karachi. They feared that the situation in Karachi could worsen if action was not taken in this regard.-—PPI