LAHORE: Punjab police and local administration on Sunday allegedly seized thousands of containers in the province to use them to restrict the movement of the agitators belonging to religious groups.

Punjab Goods Transport Association`s president Chaudhry Zulfiqar All told Dawn the body had been receiving complaints from its members in different cities of the province regarding impounding of containers by police and local administration.

He lamented that because of theon-going agitation their business had suffered as they were not receiving goods transportation orders since the protesteruptedin the country.

`The government departments, especially police, have started seizing containers. We are barred from running our business whenever any protest takes place anywhere in the country,` he said.

He said thousands of containers were being seized in the province.

He said that police and officials of local administration had set-up pickets at different spots in and around Lahore, including Manga Mandi, Shera Kot, Shafiqabad and on Kasur Road to seize the containers.

He said the Lahore High Court had earlier ordered the government not to seize containers or, otherwise, pay Rs10,000 per day damages to the ownersforeachcontainerimpounded.`We have to transport shipments from Karachi to Lahore in maximum eight days under an agreement, otherwise for each extra day we have to pay Rs10,000 in damages to those bool(ing consignments with us,` he added.

He said the police also seized cargo with the container and often released it after receiving bribe from the drivers.

The police have seized the containers to place them around important buildings, sensitive installations and residences of the VVIPs to bar the agitators from reaching there. A number of containers could be seen blocking roads leading to the Sharif family`s residences in Jati Umra and Model Town.

The association`s secretary general Javed Malik put the number of seized container all over the country at 4,000 to 5,000.

He said the containers were mostly being seized in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

He said despite suffering heavy financial losses the transport owners had never been paid damages by the government.

A senior police official, on condition of anonymity, said they did not have any other option to block the roads leading to sensitive spots except placing containers there.

He, however, claimed that police were releasing the containers carrying goods.

Senior Superintendent of Police (operations) Muntazir Mehdi denied containers were being seized in the city, adding that 20 containers had been arranged from dry port and other cargo services to block some important roads.

He said the department would pay rent of the seized containers to the owners.

He added that those who were not getting the rent amount for their seized containers could approach him for the purpose.

STRIKE: Pakistan Goods Transporter Association (PGTA) has announced a complete strike on Monday (today).

PGTA secretary general Nabeel Mahmood Tariq said the body would observe strike on Monday, demanding the government should resolve the ongoing crisis through negotiation.

Meanwhile, All Pakistan Public Transport Owner Federation also announced suspension of service on Monday (today).

Federation chairperson Haji Akram Zal(i said the public transport owners were facing financial losses because of the government`s flawed policies resulting in sit-ins and protests.

He demanded the government should take concrete steps to resolve the crisis.

Meanwhile, Lahore`s Traders Association also announced shutter down in the city on Monday. It was announced by association president Mujahid Maqsood Butt.