KARACHI (PPI) - Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) President Syed Irshad Hussain Shah Bukhari and General Secretary Syed Mehmood Afridi have threatened to go on indefinite wheeljam strike from May 15 if the government fails to pay compensation for the killed drivers and torched vehicles in the city. In a statement on Sunday, the transport leaders welcomed the government decision to announce holiday on May 12 and said that it would end unrest and panic prevailing amongst the citizens. Mr Hussain Bukhari and Mr Afridi asked Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to resolve their issues amicably, likewise the efforts he made for ending May 12 strike, so that there should be no need of wheeljam strike from May 15. They demanded of the Chief Minister to meet their demands by 13 May by paying compensation of torched vehicles and killed & injured drivers. Immediate steps should be taken to provide full security to the transporters community and their business, the leaders added. The KTI has decided to hold an important meeting on May 13 to devise future strategy about strike. It says vehicles worth billions of rupees have been torched and 11 drivers killed during different violence and arson incident in Karachi. The previous as well as present governments have badly failed to pay the compensation against the losses, causing a wave of deprivation among the transporters and their employees, it added. TRANSPORTERS WELCOME PUBLIC HOLIDAY TOMORROW Karachi Transport Action Committee and Anjuman-e-Ettehad Bus Malikan Karachi leaders Muhammad Ashraf Banglori, Chaudary Mazhar Hussain, Tanzeem Khan and Nazeer Banglori have welcomed the government decision to announce public holiday on May 12, 2009. In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders appreciated Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) for withdrawing strike call of May 12, saying all political parties must adopt a positive attitude and make Karachi a city of peace. They urged the political parties to keep vigil on activities of anti-social elements in their respective stronghold areas so as to save the lives and property of citizens besides providing protection to public transport in the greater interest of durable peace in the city. They said that Karachi is a multi-ethnic city but some vested interest groups have disturbed the peace and calm of it. Damaging public transport have become a part of politics, adding setting a blaze single vehicles affects more than ten families. They urged the political parties to shun their differences and play their positive role for the development of the metropolis.