PESHAWAR: Owners of filling stations and petrol dealers expressed concerns over increasing incidents of cash snatching and ‘unsatisfactory’ security arrangements and urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take its prompt notice.
Addressing a news conference, the association informed that cash of over Rs1.7 million had already been looted from a member of the association. Participants, on the occasion made it clear that if the provincial government failed to provide security, they would shut businesses and would launch protest.
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They asked the provincial government for pragmatic steps to prevent such unpleasant incidents in future, otherwise, they would be compelled to shut their businesses and protest. The issue was discussed during an executive council meeting of Sarhad Petroleum Cartage and Dealers Association, chaired by its provincial chairman Abdul Majid Khan here on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by the association general secretary Gul Nawaz Afridi, members and petrol pump owners and dealers in a large number. The meeting unanimously condemned the increasing incidents of robbery and snatching of cash at gunpoint in city areas and called it failure and incompetence of the provincial government and police department.
“About Rs6 Million has been looted from a petrol pump of a member of the association Haji Abdul Majeed in broad daylight,” Abdul Majid Khan, the association chairman said. He strongly condemned that increasing incidents of cash snatching and unsatisfactory security arrangements and criticised the provincial government and police department for poor security arrangements.
Earlier, the meeting decided that a meeting of dealers will convene very soon and devise a joint future strategy and protest plan.
To counter street crimes, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to establish 1600 member patrol squad for Peshawar. The government has announced that squad will be provided 400 heavy bikes to patrol the city. The decision was taken during a meeting on law and order held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday. The police official briefed the chief minister on the steps taken to maintain law and order in wake of changing security situation in neighboring Afghanistan.