"We [transporters] will not end the strike unless our problems are solved on a permanent basis," President of Karachi Goods Carriers Association Khalid Khan said. He claimed that goods transporters of three provinces, including Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and Azad Kashmir were supporting the strike call.
"The strike has paralysed economic activities across the country, halting exports and imports besides bringing industrial manufacturing to a standstill," said Chairman of Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA) Zain Bashir. Surprisingly, the Sindh government had not so far called upon the transporters to end their strike. "The government has not yet approached us for talks," said Khalid Khan. Javed Bilwani said: "The strike by the United Goods Transporters Alliance has indeed crippled exports, which are the lifeline and backbone of the national economy."
"Exporters have failed to get their export-bound consignments loaded on ships since the strike started on December 4," he said. Vessels continued to set sails from seaports without export shipments, forcing exporters to make arrangements for transporting their cargoes by air. "Such a process will inflict heavy financial loss on exporters," he said.
Khalid Khan said Additional Home Secretary Sindh, Wasim Ahmed, had phoned him for ending the strike. However, he vowed to continue the strike until problems faced by transporters were resolved.
The strike had also halted Nato from Karachi Port and Port Qasim, he said, adding: "We [transporters] are not servants of Americans and we are not bound to supply their goods despite facing persistent problems." He claimed four ships had left the both harbours without loading export cargoes. Over the past four and a half years, the government had destroyed the trade and industry, but these exporters had done nothing to protect their economic interests, he said, wondering why they were now protesting after the suspension of their supplies.
Javed Bilwani urged the government, particularly the Federal Finance Ministry, to take steps for solving transporters' issues, fearing that "the strike will create economic chaos". Zain Bashir said: "All sectors including cement, textile, leather garments, sports goods, surgical items, marble products, edible oil and food items are facing huge financial losses...because of the strike."
Importers are also compelled to pay demurrages on stockpiled goods at harbours because of the transporters protest, he said, adding that the manufacturing sectors have been left without basic raw materials. Criticising the government, Zain said the rulers were completely indifferent to the problems faced by truckers, adding that they were least bothered about resolving issues relating to Highway Police and security threats.