PESHAWAR, April 30: The Peshawar city district government released Rs1.47 million to Nazimeen for its onward distribution among the transporters whose vehicles have been hired or impounded for referendum duty by the administration.

Dawn learnt on authority on Tuesday that each Nazim had received Rs16,000 from the Peshawar city district government to be paid to the transporters.

Similarly, the provincial government has distributed huge amounts among the Nazimeen across the province to arrange transport for the referendum.

The Peshawar city district council comprises 92 union councils and four town councils.

The traffic police had started impounding public transport vehicles throughout the province on the directives of the Nazimeen three days ahead of the referendum day. Only in Peshawar, more than 400 vehicles were seized for transporting the staff and material to the polling stations, the sources said.

Each vehicle would be paid Rs300 a day as fuel charges, added the sources, but the transporters and drivers are skeptic about the payment. They fear that like the past, they would only given a friction of the total amount, while the lion’s share would be pocketed by the Nazimeen and district administration.

The Peshawar city wore a dismal look as the usual hustle and bustle on such occasions could not be witnessed. Also, a thin traffic plied on the roads and the residents had to face a lot of difficulties in the absence of urban transport.