HYDERABAD, April 19 Owners of two van service companies on Sunday accused a contractor of harassing them by not allowing their vehicles to halt at the Qasim Chowk bus stop to lift passengers, in violation of the Sindh High Court orders.

Mohammad Iqbal Khan Niazi, Inamullah Memon and Raja Mohammad Jamil who own Tezraftar Van Service and New Lucky Van Service, said at a news conference at the press club that the contractor who was also a transporter had monopolised the Qasim Chowk area in connivance with the Cantonment Board.

They said that they had a fleet of 30 vans, which were plying from Al-Rahim Shopping Centre, Badin bus stop and other places for Karachi and interior Sindh with permission of the Provincial Transport Authority, Regional Transport Authority and Sindh High Court.

Mr Niazi said that each van could carry 14 passengers and their fare was less than other transport companies but the Cantonment Board had given contract for the Al-Rahim Shopping Centre bus stop to only one man, Mullah Rafique.

He said that the contractor had established his own stop and was not allowing any other transporter to halt their vans or buses at the chowk.

He claimed that they had sought permission from the Sindh High Court to halt their vehicles at the chowk for five minutes but in clear violation of court orders the contractor was not allowing them to stop there.

Mr Niazi appealed to the authorities concerned to take notice of the contractor's excesses.—Bureau