KARACHI, Dec11: The main Banaras Chowk remained blocked for about three hours (from 7am to 10am ) on Monday as a result of transporters' protest against, what they described as, police’s apathy towards their problems.

The protesters said that three of their passenger vehicles were looted by armed men near the Ajab Khan police check-post, Banaras, on Sunday. The robbers also stabbed and wounded the driver and the conductor of a minibus, but the police concerned failed to arrest the culprits, they said.

The drivers had also blocked the same chowk on Sunday evening and the traffic was diverted to the Metroville road, but on Monday morning the Metroville road was also blocked. The transport operators parked their vans in the middle of the chowk an did not let any vehicles move past, which also led to a scuffle among drivers.

Drivers told Dawn that dacoits had looted the passengers and the crew of the vehicles at gunpoint, but the police had failed to arrest the suspected persons. They said that a driver, Waris, and a conductor, Seraj Khan, were stabbed with daggers and wounded by the robbers when the victims tried to resist their robbery attempt.

They said the passengers of minibuses JE 9467, JE9964, JE1647, all of the W-25 route, and P-3056 had been looted. They alleged that such incidents were on the rise on the main raod from Paposh Nagar to Raees Amrohvi Colony in Orangi Town and robbers were in connivance with the police otherwise the culprits would have been nabbed.

However, due to the blockage of the roads people, especially students and employees of various government departments and private organizations, faced great hardship in reaching their destinations as they remained stuck in their vehicles. The worst affected were small children and women.

The road was later opened on the intervention of leaders of transporters' organizations. Some policemen in a pickup appeared there. But the agitators forced them to leave the scene.