Goods transporters across Pakistan have called off their nationwide wheel-jam strike after the government accepted eight of their immediate demands.
The announcement was made by representatives of 15 goods transporters’ organisations in Islamabad.
Following the decision, goods transportation services have resumed from Karachi Port and Port Qasim, ending the disruption caused by the strike.
The transporters said committees have also been formed to address their remaining demands. They expressed hope that the outstanding issues would be resolved through negotiations with the government.
The nationwide strike had affected the movement of goods and cargo, particularly at major ports and along key transportation routes.
Earlier, talks between the government and goods transporters failed, with transporters deciding to continue their strike. Talks were held in Islamabad and were attended by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Petroleum Pervaiz Ali Malik, the Minister for Ports and Shipping, and a representative of the Ministry of Finance, according to media reports.
The All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, led by its President Malik Shahzad Awan, also participated in the talks. Other alliance leaders, including Chaudhry Qamar Zaman Gul, Malik Shabbar Khan, Nisar Hussain Jafri, Imdad Hussain Naqvi, and Chaudhry Owais, were present. However, the negotiations between the government and the goods transporters remained unsuccessful, with the deadlock continuing.
Following the talks, President of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance Malik Shahzad Awan said that the deadlock with the federal and Sindh governments remained unresolved. He said that no significant progress had been made on the transporters’ demands and that, as a result, they had decided to continue their protest.
Malik Shahzad Awan said that the protest would not end until their demands were accepted. He added that the transporters would not compromise on their demands and that detailed discussions had been held with representatives of both the federal and Sindh governments. Despite these negotiations, the two sides could not reach an agreement on several key issues.
Also read: Goods transporters strike disrupts supply chains across Pakistan