Talks fail as goods transporters vow to continue strike

Deadlock persists between transporters and govt; operations at Port Qasim disrupted

KARACHI:

Negotiations between the government and goods transporters failed to yield a breakthrough, with the All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance announcing that the ongoing strike will continue.

Addressing a press conference, Alliance President Malik Shehzad Awan said that despite detailed talks with representatives of the federal and Sindh governments, a deadlock persists and no concrete progress has been made on the transporters' demands. "Negotiations have not been successful, and we have decided to continue the strike," Awan said, adding that while the doors for dialogue remain open, meaningful and visible progress is essential.

He stressed that transporters would not back down from their demands. "The government must take serious steps to resolve the issues. Verbal assurances are not enough - we need written and implementable commitments," he added.

Awan added that several rounds of discussions were held with government representatives, but key matters remained unresolved. He warned that the protest would continue until the demands were formally accepted. "The protest has entered a decisive phase. We will continue our peaceful struggle until our legitimate rights are secured," he said.

Meanwhile, following the strike call, transporters at Port Qasim parked their vehicles on Monday, disrupting goods movement and port operations.