ISLAMABAD – The nationwide strike by goods transporters entered its seventh day on Friday, with another round of negotiations between the transporters and federal and provincial authorities scheduled for today.
All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance President Malik Shahzad Awan said the strike was continuing across the country and would remain in place indefinitely until the transporters’ demands were accepted.
In a video statement, Awan said transporters had been protesting peacefully for the past seven days and that talks would again be held at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) with the federal minister for ports and shipping and representatives of the Sindh government.
He said a meeting had also been held with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday. According to Awan, the chief minister directed the provincial interior minister and other ministers to take steps to address the transporters’ concerns.
Awan said transporters were ready for negotiations but would not end their strike merely on the basis of verbal assurances from the federal or provincial governments.
He stressed that the strike would continue until the authorities accepted their demands and issued formal notifications regarding their implementation.
The prolonged protest has disrupted goods transportation and logistics operations in different parts of the country, raising concerns over the movement and supply of essential commodities and commercial goods.
The fresh round of talks is being viewed as an important opportunity to resolve the deadlock between the government and the transporters and restore normal transport operations across the country.
