They said exporters, whose consignments were held up, had so far faced one billion rupees loss, as the strike was feared to continue further for the lack of government's inaction to solve Goods' Transporters' problems. "Of the total loss the textile exporters faced Rs 66 million," they said.
"It is on record that we have informed the President of Pakistan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Commerce Minister, Textile Minister, Interior Minister, Secretary Commerce, Secretary Textile, Chief Executive TDAP and all relevant authorities about this gravest situation seriously affecting our exports but nothing has as yet been done and the anarchy is spreading beyond anyone's control. This is indeed most pathetic," they said. The government's primary concentration was on politics and it showed no considerations for the economic stability, they said.
Earlier, addressing a press conference at PHMA House, representatives of a number of value-added textile groups urged the government to sense the significance of transporters strike that led to ceasing of exports. Javed Bilwani of Pakistan Knitwear and Sweater Exporters Association, Zain Bashir of Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association, Muzzammil Hussain of Towel Manufacturers Association, Abid Chinoy of Pakistan Cloth Merchants' Association, Aman Kasam of Pakistan Denim Manufacturers & Exporters Association, Shaikh Rafiq Shafiq of Pakistan Readymade Garment Manufacturers & Exporter Association and Khwaja Usman of Pakistan Cotton Fashion Apparels Manufacturers & Exporters Association, attended the news conference.
They said a large number of consignments of exports were stuck outside seaports since the strike had begun, adding the government should play its role to end the strike amicably for the betterment of national economy. "The continued strike is brining jobs of 42 percent workers of value-added textile sector and eight percent of its ancillary sectors to a dire risk," they warned, saying that about 30 percent export shipments of textile for Christmas season and New Year were left to face a halt.
They said the sudden announcement by United Goods Transporters Alliance to go on strike was because of extortionism and rampant kidnapping of drivers and hijacking of loaded trucks from highways, besides the heavy handedness of motorway and highway police. The strike is feared to continue until their problems are solved permanently. "We very much regret that this strike called by the United Goods Transporters Alliance has indeed crippled our exports which are the lifeline and backbone of our nation's economy," they said.
They said many export consignments had delayed to reach the global destination on time, while the rest were still feared to miss their timely shipments because of continued strike. "We fear the ships will sail off the harbour without lifting our export consignments," they said, adding that as a result the exporters would have to dispatch them by air-transport which would increase the cost for them manifold. The strike has brought the entire nearly 25,000 exports bound loaded containers to a suspension across the country till date, they said, suggesting the immediate end to the transporters strike to avoid chaos like situation.