Goods Transporters’ Strike Postponed For 40 Days.

President of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Muhammad Ikram Rajput has welcomed the decision to defer the nationwide strike by goods transporters for 40 days following successful negotiations between government representatives and transporters, describing it as an important and positive development for the national economy, industry, trade and continuity of the supply chain.

Rajput extended special appreciation to Prime Minister of Pakistan, saying the prime minister had played an effective role in addressing the longstanding issues faced by the transport sector and helping resolve the current crisis.

He also thanked the federal and provincial governments, Governor Sindh, Mayor Karachi, representatives of the goods transporters and Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan for advancing efforts to resolve the issues through consultation and negotiations and agreeing to defer the strike in the national interest.

The KATI president said the nine-day strike by goods transporters had severely disrupted industrial and commercial activities, exports, imports, supply chains and overall business operations across the country.

“Goods transportation is a fundamental pillar of economic activity in Pakistan. When the wheels of transportation stop, the impact is felt across the entire economy. Therefore, efforts to end the disruption through negotiations are highly commendable,” he said.

Rajput said the business and industrial community, along with transporters across the country, also had serious reservations about the existing mechanism for determining petroleum product prices.

He said frequent and unpredictable changes in petroleum prices increased production, transportation and business costs while making long-term planning difficult for industry and trade.

He urged the government to review the petroleum pricing mechanism and introduce a transparent and predictable system under which prices are determined on a monthly basis, or at least every 15 days. Such a mechanism, he said, would enable industrialists, traders and transporters to better estimate their costs and make more effective business decisions.

The KATI president stressed that the government must ensure timely implementation of all commitments and decisions agreed upon during the negotiations so that the transporters’ issues could be resolved on a permanent basis and similar nationwide strikes or supply chain disruptions could be avoided in the future.

Rajput said Pakistan could not afford prolonged economic disruptions amid the prevailing regional and global circumstances. He urged all stakeholders to fulfil their responsibilities while keeping the national interest above all other considerations.

He further called for regular meetings of the committees constituted between the government and transporters and urged that all relevant stakeholders remain engaged through continuous consultation.

“Any issue should be resolved through dialogue and mutual consultation before it develops into a crisis. This is essential for protecting the broader interests of Pakistan’s economy,” the KATI president said.