NOWSHERA: A sad incident took place during the protest against the prolonged CNG shutdown and the growing economic crisis in the country, where a rickshaw driver set his rickshaw on fire and then tried to set himself on fire.
This incident took place when the driver had been unable to earn a living for several days due to the shutdown of CNG stations and his family was on the verge of starvation.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver reached the protest site and first shouted slogans against the government and the administration and then poured petrol on his rickshaw, which was his only source of livelihood. When the people present there tried to stop him, he also poured petrol on himself and set it on fire. Other protesters and rescue workers present there immediately tried to douse the fire and shifted him to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where doctors said his body was badly burnt.
Rickshaw union leaders say that the unavailability of gas and the increase in petrol prices have forced the poor to commit suicide. The driver said that despite standing in queues for hours, he is unable to get gas and that heavy police challans are breaking his back.
After this incident, rickshaw drivers in different areas of the city blocked roads and staged a strong protest, demanding that CNG supply be restored immediately and a relief package be announced for poor drivers. The administration has ordered an investigation into the incident, but the incident has sparked a wave of public anger.
