MUZAFFARGARH, Oct 09 (APP):Students of the Government College of Technology staged a protest and blocked the Turkey Bypass after alleging that Green Bus service staff assaulted them and forcibly took them to the bus terminal following a dispute over boarding the bus.
According to the students, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Phatak Stop when they boarded a Green Bus. They alleged that the driver did not stop at the designated point and instead took the bus to the terminal, where an altercation broke out between the students and the staff.
The students further alleged that they were subjected to physical violence and that their uniforms were torn. They demanded legal action against those responsible and sought a written assurance from the authorities that an FIR would be registered against the bus staff.
The Green Bus service in-charge, however, offered a different account, stating that complaints of harassment involving female passengers had prompted the staff to ask the students to stand at the rear of the bus. He alleged that an argument followed and that the students later came to the bus terminal and assaulted the staff.
The dispute escalated when the protesting students blocked the Turkey Bypass to all traffic, causing long queues of vehicles and disrupting traffic flow. Passengers travelling towards Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan faced considerable inconvenience, with several remaining stranded for hours.
ASP City Police reached the scene and held negotiations with the protesters, who also demanded the establishment of a Green Bus stop in front of their college.
Police said the incident had occurred on Wednesday and that a scuffle had also taken place between the students and bus staff at the terminal. They added that the students’ concerns had been heard and the matter was being investigated, with preventive measures also underway.
Following negotiations with the students, police managed to reopen the road to traffic.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
