Making Hay: LPG vendors protest colleagues’ arrest

FAISALABAD: Dozens of shopkeepers selling LPG staged a protest demonstration on Thursday after the arrest of five of their colleagues, who were found overcharging their customers. City Assistant Commissioner (AC) Shahrukh Niazi had arrested Ghulam Dastgir, Faisal, Zahid, Shehzad and Farhan of Railway Road after they were found selling LPG cylinders at exorbitant rates. They were later handed them over to police for further investigation. After the arrests, dozens of LPG shopkeepers blocked the Railway Road. Talking to reporters, Ehsanul Haq Pehlwan, an LPG vendor, said that the government had not notified a tariff. “It is not fair to take action against shopkeepers. First, the administration should provided us approved rates. Then they can take action against those who violate it,” he said. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the local administration and demanded immediate release of the arrested shopkeepers. A police team from the Rail Bazaar station talked to the protesters. They assured them that the shopkeepers would be released if they were found innocent. The protesters dispersed on receiving the assurance.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2014.