Karachi Goods Carrier Association General Secretary Shoaib Khan says such activities not only affect economy, but also create problems for labourers
KARACHI: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers and leaders have girded up their loins to make October 18 rally a success. In this regard, the Sindh government has ordered police to impound containers five days prior to the PPP demonstration.
The impounded containers are being gathered at Bagh-e-Jinnah. These containers would be used as a security cover and to block roads. More than 200 containers would be erected across the rally venue. The city administration has ordered the Karachi police to impound as many containers as they can for the security of the rally.
Sources said police have been given a target to impound around 600 to 700 containers from Karachi alone. It is feared that due to the seizure of the containers the country’s economy will face millions of rupees losses.
Customs Today learnt that more containers would be impounded once the interior ministry gives permission to the PPP to hold the rally. Drivers of the containers said there were several days in the rally but the police have forcibly impounded their containers.
“Whenever there is a political or religious gathering in the city the police impounds their containers,” they added.
Karachi Goods Carrier Association General Secretary Shoaib Khan said both loaded and empty containers were being impounded. Several containers have been sent to Bagh-e-Jinnah to make a stage for the event.
“Such activities not only affect the country’s economy, but labourers too have to face the brunt,” he said.
Sources said the PPP leadership wanted to block roads leading to Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum. All police stations have been ordered to impound as many containers as they can. So far, the police have seized 60 to 70 containers in the city. Drivers are being told that they would be given possession of their containers once the rally is over.
Drivers and importers have shown their concern as the police and the city administration take several days in returning the containers even after the conclusion of such rallies.
Drivers said the police were impounding their vehicles along with containers. A driver said the police had impounded containers four days before Youm-e-Ali (AS) around two months ago. The containers carried goods worth millions of rupees. He blamed that the police had not only impounded their containers, but also tortured them.
A source in a goods association said importers and goods transporters had faced losses worth millions of rupees after the Punjab government impounded hundreds of containers to stop PTI and PAT workers from entering Islamabad in August.
