KARACHI: Amid negotiations between goods transporters and government departments to resolve a nationwide strike that has entered its 10th day, industrialists warned on Tuesday that each passing day was adding billions of rupees in trade and export losses.
Transporters said talks were underway with representatives of the federal and Punjab governments and relevant departments, including the ministries of ports and shipping and communications, the motorway police, the National Highway Authority (NHA) and senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Customs. They claimed the federal and Punjab governments had acknowledged that their demands were justified.
The negotiations were continuing late into the night and were ongoing at the time of going to press, officials said.
Earlier, transporters said the strike would continue until their demands were accepted. The Transporters’ Goods Association (TGA) also told a Sindh government committee at the Commissioner’s Office in Karachi that the shutdown would remain in place until issues raised in its charter of demands were addressed. The demands include designated parking for goods carriers near Karachi Port Trust (KPT), and matters related to licensing and the plying of 25- to 30-year-old vehicles.
Industrialists urge PM to end goods transport shutdown as containers pile up
Patron-in-chief of the Pakistan
Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMEA) Muhammad Jawed Bilwani described the halt in port activity as “economic sabotage” and said the strike had disrupted the national supply chain, pushing exports and imports towards a standstill.
He warned that exporters were being forced to consider costly and risky air consignments to meet delivery schedules and insisted that continued inaction could cause “heavy and irreparable” damage to the economy.
Mr Bilwani said port operations had come to a halt, leaving thousands of export and import containers stranded, while several hundred containers already loaded on vessels remained at sea, awaiting berthing space.
He cited Pakistan’s average daily exports at $92 million and monthly exports at $2.849 billion, adding that the textile sector alone accounted for $52m in daily exports and around $1.617bn per month.
He urged the prime minister to take notice and intervene to end the strike, saying it was necessary to protect exports and domestic commerce from further damage.
Atif Ikram Sheikh, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), said the transport strike was having serious negative consequences and freight forwarding at ports had been severely affected. He said imported goods were stuck at ports and exporters were unable to dispatch orders on time.
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) President Muhammad Ikram Rajput said the delay in resolving issues between transporters and authorities had become unbearable for the industry. He said businesses were already grappling with high energy costs, elevated interest rates and weak demand, and the collapse of transport services had added further pressure.
Pakistan Leather Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PLGMEA) Chairman Nadeem Bukhari said that while efforts to improve road safety and regulatory compliance were welcome, the sudden disruption in freight movement had created significant operational challenges for export-oriented industries.
Medicine supplies disrupted
The strike has also begun disrupting the supply of essential medicines across the country, with shortages reported in several cities and towns as pharmaceutical products from major manufacturing hubs fail to reach pharmacies, medical stores and healthcare facilities, industry and market representatives said.
They said medicines produced in Karachi and Lahore were not being transported to other parts of the country, warning that a prolonged disruption could create serious difficulties for patients, particularly those suffering from chronic illnesses.
Tauqeerul Haq of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association said pharmaceutical companies had received reports of shortages from different regions as manufacturers were unable to dispatch products from industrial centres.
He said stocks of medicines used for diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and mental health conditions were running low, while demand had risen due to a flu outbreak. He added that many manufacturers had slowed or stopped production as warehouses reached capacity and finished goods could not be moved, while raw materials required for production were also failing to reach factories.
Abdul Samad Budhani, chairman of the Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association, also stressed that transporters were not delivering medicines to different parts of the country and pharmacists were receiving complaints from patients unable to find essential drugs.
Balochistan has been the worst-affected province, according to Malik Roohullah Kakar, president of the Medicines Traders Association of Balochistan. He said that around 80 per cent of medicines used in the province are supplied from Karachi, and the transporters’ strike had led to shortages in Quetta and other towns across Balochistan.
Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2025
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