Thousands of oil truck drivers, conductors and owners on Wednesday staged demonstrations at Mehmoodkot, Shershah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Muzaffargarh and blocked the highways by putting hurdles to press the authorities for acceptance of their demands. Demonstrators also pelted stones on vehicles, which were not observing strike and broke their windscreens. The strike was observed at the call of 'Supreme Council of All Pakistan Transporters, Oil Tankers Association' (APTOTA) while partial strike was observed in southern Punjab as protest against increase in prices of petroleum products, spare parts, toll tax and road tax.
"We are observing wheel-jam strike today to press the authorities for acceptance of their demands," said Yousaf Khan Shahwani, central president of APTOTA, while addressing the transporters at Gujarat town of Muzaffargarh district.
He said: "We had deferred our strike time and again on the request of the government but it did not fulfil its commitment. Instead, it further increased the prices of petroleum products. Today, we have observed very successful strike hitting the supply of oil and exportable goods, etc."
He said that petroleum products prices should not be revised by Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) and it must be revised by Ogra on annual or half-yearly basis; toll tax be cut by 50 percent on toll plazas; road tax be withdrawn; truck stands be constructed in each district headquarters; checking of excise and taxation, customs be stopped on the roads; vehicles of 14 feet height be allowed on Motorway; vehicle should be handed over to the driver on 'Superdari; and fleecing by traffic police must be stopped.
However, an official spokesman said that strike call by the transporters body had fizzled out as very small number of people lent their ears to it and truckers continued their business. However, a few people observed the strike, which could not affect the oil market. Supply of oil to Multan, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Okara, Jhang, Bhakkar, Leiah, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Vehari, Mailsi, Bahawalnagar, and Rahimyarkhan was also not affected.