Karachi transporters call off strike

Karachi (PPI): Karachi transporters called off their wheel-jam strike in the city, scheduled on Wednesday, after successful talks with the Sindh government, here on Tuesday. In this regard a meeting was held in the office of Karachi Transport Ittehad. Provincial minister for transport Akhtar Hussain Jadoon, addressing the meeting said the government would accept all genuine demands of transporters and solve problems facing them on priority. He said the total amount of compensation for 927 vehicles brunt on December 27 after the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto is Rs245million and the provincial government is in touch with the federal government to get this amount for distribution amongst the affected transporters. He said the compensation for the killed and injured drivers and conductors would also be paid soon. Jadoon said the present government is fully aware of the problems faced by transporter community. He said the Sindh chief minister has agreed in principle to pay compensation for vehicles used in Begar (free use for the government departments), ending ban on new route permits, and payment for compensation to heirs of the killed and injured drivers and conductors during riots. Sindh Minister for Labor Amir Nawab Khan said, on the occasion, that the provincial government is also in contact with the federal government for getting cut in the price of petrol and diesel. Both the provincial ministers requested the transporters to call off their strike, scheduled on Wednesday, August 5, 2009. Karachi Transport Ittehad President Syed Irshad Shah Bukhari in his address said both the ministers had come to their office and they were their guests. He said that giving respect and honor to the guests was their tradition. He said besides the ministers had assured them of solving their problems; therefore, the Karachi public transporters would not observe any strike on Wednesday. He formally announced call off the wheel-jam strike and assured the ministers that public transport would ply on Karachi roads as per routine on Wednesday.