LAHORE: Goods transporters have refused to receive what they said paltry compensation for containers seized by the administration for blocking various city roads to thwart the long marches.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, All Pakistan Truck Trailer Motors’ Owners Association President Yasir Naseer said a couple of days back the Lahore Police had offered Rs2,500 for each 20-foot and Rs5,000 for 40-foot container which were used to block Model Town and other areas.

“But we refused to receive such a meagre amount, as each container costs about 10,000 to 15,000 on average to transporters per day. Since we strongly protested over the paltry amount, the officials have pledged to review the compensation,” he said.

He said the Lahore administration had released almost all containers to the transporters.

“You can’t imagine the situation we are passing through these days. The government first detained about 500 containers in Lahore and then seized another 900 to 950 containers to place them at various places of Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” he said.

Naseer said almost 80 per cent of the seized containers were normally used in Pak-Afghan trade and import/export business between Pakistan and other countries. He said a number of seized containers were loaded with various goods, affecting supplies of eatables and other material to the public at large, including the business community.

He said the Islamabad and Rawalpindi administrations had not even contacted them for compensation.

BOOKED: Various price control magistrates on Tuesday got arrested six shopkeepers for overcharging and hoarding in open markets of the city. According to a spokesman, the officials also imposed a fine of Rs68,200 on several others.

WASA: The Water and Sanitation Agency managing director on Tuesday sought conducting surprise visits by the directors in order to solve public problems quickly and improve staff efficiency.

He issued the direction in a meeting held here.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2014