Thousands of passengers stranded as railway drivers go on strike

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ROHRI: Hundreds of drivers of Pakistan Railways have gone on strike in favour of their demands including scale upgradation here in the early hours of Sunday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at various railway stations across the country.

Dozens of trains including Allama Iqbal and Fareed Express had been halted at the Sukkur Division.

The Loco Running Staff Asscoiation (LRSA) said that they were being threatened instead of accepting their demands by the high-ups.

The association resolved the drivers would not withdraw from their due demands.

LRSA said that the trains running from Quetta would also be halted from Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Pakistan Railways warned of strict action against the drivers involved in halting train operation.

Six drivers from Rawalpindi and eight from Karachi had been arrested, he added. The Railway Police had been directed to launch operation against the drivers and register cases under the Terrorism Act, the spokesman said.

He observed that the five-day leave applications of the drivers be dismissed.

He went on to say that halting the train operation by the drivers was tantamount to terrorism.

The spokesman said that contractual drivers have been called in to keep train operation running smoothly in the country.