Transport sector faces shutdown risk owing to rising fuel prices: PPDA
KARACHI: Vice Chairman of Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) Malik Sher Khan has warned that around 70 percent of transport operations have currently come to a standstill due to rising petroleum prices, with another 25 to 30 percent at risk of closure if the situation persists for the next 15 days. Addressing a ceremony organised by Shaheen Group to honour high-performing employees and…
Karachi saw a ceremony on the 2026-01-01 to honor high-performing employees and pilgrims heading to Umrah. During the event, Malik Sher Khan, Vice Chairman and CEO of Shaheen Group, voiced concerns about the transport sector facing imminent shutdown risks due to escalating fuel prices. According to Khan, approximately 70% of transport operations are currently halted, with an additional 25-30% at risk if the situation persists for 15 more days.
He emphasized that transporters and oil transporters are the lifeblood of the national economy, supporting countless families. Khan noted that escalating fuel costs have driven up transportation prices and strained the supply chain for essential goods reaching local markets. Transporters find themselves caught between maintaining per-kilometre fares and dealing with soaring operational expenses, compounded by a heavy tax burden.
Khan strongly criticized the government's hastily introduced fuel relief scheme, claiming it was implemented without proper consultation with transporters and other stakeholders, which could exacerbate the sector's issues. He also referenced Jamaat-e-Islami's ongoing sit-in against fuel price hikes, but expressed disappointment in the lack of tangible government action.
Khan implored the government to swiftly and effectively address the transport sector crisis by providing petroleum price relief and establishing a durable policy framework for the sector. He warned that ignoring the transport sector, essential for nationwide goods distribution, could lead to supply-chain breakdowns, stock shortages, and heightened inflation.
Khan, alongside PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh, Vice Chairman Tariq Hassan, Anwar Kamal, Sindh Region President Amir Khan, Karachi Division President Saeed Khan, SRB Commissioners Amir Ali and Muhammad Iqbal Lakho, and Shaheen Group's Managing Director Malik Jahan Khan, among others, attended the ceremony. Seven Shaheen Group top-performers were also acknowledged with cars as prizes.
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