KARACHI: The All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance has announced an indefinite, nationwide strike starting August 8 following the government’s failure to address their core grievances. During a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, alliance leader Malik Shehzad Awan stated that a formal charter of demands has been submitted to authorities without any positive response, prompting calls for the resignation of Federal Minister for Petroleum, Pervaiz Ali Malik.
The transport sector’s key demands include reverting from daily to monthly petroleum price reviews, rolling back recent fuel and toll tax hikes to June 30, 2024, levels, and reducing the withholding tax on goods transport from 7% to 2%. Transporters also demand the uniform implementation of axle load limits, the revocation of Customs SRO 1619/2024, expedited HTV license issuance, and proper heavy vehicle parking facilities near Karachi Port and Port Qasim. Furthermore, the alliance has expressed deep concern over arson attacks on vehicles in Balochistan, while entirely rejecting the ban on vehicles older than 20 years, the penal compensation law, and alleged illegal third-party insurance collections in Sindh, warning that the strike will severely disrupt nationwide supply chains if their demands are ignored.
