BAHAWALPUR, Jan 16: Transporters and motorists have criticized the government for enhancing petroleum prices, reports reaching here said on Friday.

They said abrupt increase of Rs1.70 per litre petrol would be a burden on the mediocre and low-income groups, who were already making both ends meet.

The transport companies, in the meanwhile, have demanded raise in bus fares on inter-city routes due to increase in diesel prices. Divisional Transporters Federation, Bahawalpur chapter, president Chaudhry Sohail Ashraf Warriach has said a meeting will soon be called in to take a decision in this regard.

Several cab and rickshaw drivers have already increased the fares arbitrarily on various city routes. Clashes between public transport drivers and commuters have been reported in many parts of the district.

DENIES ATTACK: The father of Muhammad Naeem, who was arrested on Dec 25 last for his alleged involvement in attack on the president, has denied his son's association with any outfit.

Dr Taj, while speaking in Ahmadpur East on Friday, claimed that his son ran a medical store and had nothing to do with any jihadi group of Afghanistan. Nor were there any police records against Naeem, he said, and described his arrest as illegal. However, Dr Taj admitted that one of his sons, Nadeem, had been in Afghanistan and he was imprisoned after the fall of the Taliban.