A nationwide strike by the All Pakistan Goods Transporters Alliance has disrupted the movement of cargo and essential commodities, raising concerns over further pressure on Pakistan’s supply chains.
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The wheel-jam protest, which began last week, has affected the transportation of imported and exported goods as well as food and other essential supplies in several parts of the country.
Transporters are protesting against what they describe as unfair taxation, rising operational costs and the lack of implementation of previously agreed transport policies.
The ongoing strike has slowed the movement of goods between ports, markets and distribution centres, affecting both commercial cargo and essential food supplies.
Transporters have warned that prolonged disruption could lead to shortages of essential commodities and contribute to higher prices if the deadlock continues.
The movement of imported and exported cargo has also been affected, creating additional concerns for businesses dependent on road transportation.
Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan held discussions with representatives of the goods transport sector and assured them that the government was serious about resolving their concerns.
The minister said the government would continue negotiations with the transporters to find a solution to the dispute.
However, no specific timeline was announced for the next round of talks or for the resolution of the transporters’ demands.
Transporters, meanwhile, said they remained willing to negotiate but would not call off the strike until concrete measures were taken and their demands were formally approved and implemented.
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The transport crisis has been compounded by a separate warning from petroleum dealers.
Petroleum dealers have given the government a 72-hour deadline to address their demands and warned that petrol stations across Pakistan would be closed from 6:00am on August 15 if the issues remain unresolved.
The potential shutdown of petrol stations could further disrupt transportation, logistics and the movement of essential goods if the announcement is implemented.
Earlier to this, petrol dealers across Pakistan have announced an indefinite nationwide strike from 12:00 midnight on July 22, following the failure of negotiations with the federal government over their demands.
The decision was released by the All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association, which said all petrol pumps across the country would remain closed until the government accepts their demands.
