Goods, oil transporters strike continues

Karachi witnessed a continuing goods and oil transporters' strike on Monday night, affecting the movement of cargo across the country for the third consecutive day. The strike began on Friday night, leading to the halt of trucks, trailers, and goods transport vehicles. Both sides, the transporters and the government, held talks until late Monday night without reaching a consensus.

The transporters have three demands: increasing permissible weight for 10-wheeler vehicles, revising diesel pricing on a monthly basis, and addressing customs duties and income tax. The government, led by Communications Minister Aleem Khan and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, was represented by officials from the Federal Board of Revenue, ministries, ports and shipping, federal secretaries, and transport secretaries of the four provinces.

Talks between the transporters and the government continued until late Monday night, with both sides refusing to budge from their positions. The next round of negotiations will take place today. The Pakistan Textile Council warned that a prolonged strike could severely impact Pakistan's textile and apparel supply chains and export shipments.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged all governments to engage with the transport sector representatives to resolve the issues at the earliest.