FAISALABAD, Jan 26: Police have booked more than 200 people on the charge of attacking and injuring the staff of Sargodha Road toll tax contractor, threatening them with dire consequences and damaging its furniture on Monday.

Hundreds of transporters, villagers and shopkeepers of Sargodha Road area took out a protest demonstration against the imposition of toll tax by the district government, including Faisalabad-Sargodha Road.

The protesters, armed with iron rods and sticks, staged a sit-in in front of the toll plaza and chanted slogans against the district government and the contractors.

Some of the protesters forcibly stopped the armed men of contractor from receiving tax which resulted in a clash between them. Both the groups used their weapons against each other as a result of which more than a dozen people sustained serious injuries.

A heavy police contingent rushed to the spot and dispersed the protesters. The police arrested some of them and released them after a couple of hours. Ayub Khan, an employee of the toll contractor, lodged a complaint before the SP (city) claiming that more than 200 people attacked the office, damaged the furniture, injured some of the staff members and threatened them with dire consequences.

Nishatabad police registered a case against Abdul Razzaq, Sultan, Iqbal, Sattar, Waris Ali and Shabbir Ahmad and others. However, no arrest has so far been made.

In another incident, the staff of Faisalabad-Jhang Road toll contractor also exchanged hot words with the vehicle owners. The incident took place when an armed guard of the contractor misbehaved with the driver of a tractor-trolley over the issue of rates of tax. The altercation between the driver and the toll tax staff resulted in blockade of traffic for a couple of hours. The drivers of the vehicles came out on road and chanted slogans against the district government.

A team of the Jhang Bazaar and Saddar police stations rushed to the spot and held dialogues with the protesters. After lengthy debate, the police team succeeded in restoring order.

Meanwhile, the opposition councillors staged a protest demonstration at the district council intersection and set up a camp. They rejected the toll tax and termed it against the rights of people as well as a clear violation of the Local Government Ordinance.

They vowed to continue their protest movement till the withdrawal of tax and threatened to set up hunger strike camp against such what they called callous decision of the district government.

The district government has awarded the contract of Sargodha Road for Rs6.3 million, Jhang Road for Rs4.6 million, Resalewala for Rs6.3 million, Khurrianwala to Jaranwala Road for Rs430,000 and Jaranwala to Satiana Road for Rs280,000.