‘Boycott tomatoes’

LAHORE: A large number of rickshaw drivers staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club (LPC) against the rising prices of daily use items especially tomatoes.

The demonstration was addressed by the rickshaw union leaders including Haji Rafaqat, Zeeshan Akmal, Aziz Abbasi, Ghulam Abbas, Haji Razak, AD Faisal, Mian Tariq and Fayyaz Shah. They kept agitating for over an hour.

They parked a large number of rickshaws on the road that led to massive traffic congestion outside the press club. Speaking on the occasion, Awami Rickshaw Union Chairperson Majeed Ghauri announced a boycott of tomatoes. He said if the nation stands by their decision, hoarders would be seen begging on the streets.

Inflation rises 11.4% on hike in food, energy prices

“No one can raise prices based on demand and supply by creating inflation through hoarding and artificial shortages without the help of government officials,” he said.

“The poor had voted for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with a hope that it would bring about a prosperous change in the country.”

He said through this inflation the hoarders were making money while the poor were living in miserable conditions.

He vowed that the rickshaw union would bring together people from every profession on a plate to fight this artificial inflation and hoarding. They have used the poor as tissue paper until today. The protesters demanded of the government to take concrete steps to control inflation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2019.