Goods transporters refuse to end nationwide strike after third round of talks

ISLAMABAD, August 11: The third round of negotiations between the federal government and goods transporters ended without any agreement on Monday, as transporters refused to call off their nationwide wheel-jam strike until their demands are met, ARY News reported.

According to Owais Chaudhry, a representative of the transporters, the meeting was held at the Ministry of Communications. Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan also attended the talks and assured cooperation for resolving the issues faced by the transport sector.

Owais Chaudhry said that all demands of the transporters were discussed in detail during the negotiations. However, no final agreement could be reached and none of the demands were approved in today’s meeting.

He made it clear that the nationwide strike will continue until the government accepts their demands. “We will not back down from our just and legal demands under any circumstances,” he stated. “The door for negotiations is open and we want an immediate solution to the problems.”

The goods transporters presented several key demands to the government. Their main demand is uniform implementation of the axle load limit law across the country and provision of relief in taxes. They also demanded that diesel prices should be revised on a monthly basis instead of daily fluctuations, which they say are hurting their business and increasing costs.

Owais Chaudhry further said that the transport community is facing severe financial pressure due to rising fuel costs and inconsistent policies. He added that the strike will not be ended until the demands are practically accepted by the government.

The goods transporters launched the wheel-jam strike last week to protest against what they call unfair taxation, rising operational costs and lack of implementation of transport policies. The strike has disrupted the supply of essential goods in several cities, raising concerns about shortages and price hikes.

Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan assured the delegation that the government is serious about resolving the matter and will continue dialogue with the transporters. However, no timeline was given for the next round of talks.

The goods transporters said they are ready to sit for more negotiations but will only end the protest once they see concrete steps and approval of their demands on ground.