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MUZAFFARGARH: Police have arrested five suspects in connection with a major robbery involving 18 kilograms of silver worth Rs17.5 million. All of the stolen silver has been recovered. Police also seized illegal weapons allegedly used during the robbery. District Police Officer (DPO) Syed Ghazanfar Ali Shah shared the details during a press conference at the district police office. According to the DPO, the robbery took place in the jurisdiction of City Muzaffargarh police station. The incident occurred near Darbar Piran Shah in Mahmood Kot, close to Thermal Road. The complainant was travelling by truck from Pishin towards Multan when six armed men allegedly intercepted the vehicle. The suspects took the silver at gunpoint and fled from the scene. Police registered a case against six unidentified suspects based on the complainant’s statement. Investigators then began tracing the vehicle allegedly used in the crime. Police identified the car and found that it was registered in the name of the brother of one of the suspected main perpetrators. This breakthrough helped investigators move closer to the suspects. After the arrest of the key suspect, police traced other people allegedly involved in the robbery. Police teams conducted raids in different areas as the investigation progressed. Five suspects were eventually arrested. During the operation, police recovered the entire 18 kilograms of stolen silver. The recovered silver was valued at Rs17.5 million. Illegal weapons allegedly used in the robbery were also seized from the suspects. DPO Ghazanfar Ali Shah said the case was solved through professional investigation and the use of modern information technology. He praised the police team of City Muzaffargarh for its efforts. The team worked under the supervision of SDPO City Circle Muhammad Zafar Wattoo. The DPO also appreciated the role of the Special Branch Muzaffargarh and Crime Control Department (CCD) officials. He said their assistance was important in tracing the suspects and recovering the stolen property. Police officials said further investigation into the case is continuing. The DPO announced that the police personnel involved in solving the case would receive cash rewards and certificates of appreciation.

Pakistan’s petrol dealers have announced an indefinite nationwide strike from August 15 after talks with the government failed to resolve their concerns over the fuel pricing mechanism. The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) said on Thursday that negotiations with government representatives did not produce a breakthrough. The association maintained that its major demand regarding the daily adjustment system for petroleum product prices remained unresolved. PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Baksh said the government was unwilling to change the existing mechanism during the talks. However, officials reportedly assured the dealers that an increase of Rs1.34 in their profit margin would be considered, subject to approval from the federal cabinet. The assurance failed to convince the dealers to withdraw their strike call. According to the association, its delegation left the negotiations following the unsuccessful talks and travelled back to Karachi. An emergency meeting of the PPDA executive committee was also convened to discuss the situation. The association subsequently reaffirmed its decision to shut petrol pumps across the country from Saturday morning. The proposed shutdown could create difficulties for motorists and businesses if it continues for an extended period, particularly as another major transport strike is already affecting movement of goods across Pakistan. The All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance has also decided to continue its nationwide strike after negotiations with the federal and Sindh governments failed to resolve transporters’ demands. Alliance President Malik Shahzad Awan said the strike had entered its sixth day and would continue until the government formally accepted the transporters’ demands and issued the required notification. He accused both the federal and provincial governments of failing to take the issue seriously. Awan said transporters would not end their protest merely on the basis of verbal assurances. At the same time, he appealed to transporters to remain peaceful and avoid blocking roads during the protest. The petrol dealers had initially announced their planned shutdown earlier this week after giving the government a 72-hour deadline to address their concerns. They had warned that the existing fuel pricing arrangement was making it increasingly difficult for dealers to operate their businesses. The dispute centres largely on the mechanism used to determine petroleum prices and the margins available to petrol pump owners. Earlier, another petrol dealers’ body had postponed a planned nationwide shutdown following talks with the petroleum ministry. The dealers had called for reforms to the fuel pricing mechanism and expressed concerns over delays in implementing previously agreed measures.