Goods transporters to continue wheel-jam strike

While the government claims that consensus has been reached with the All Pakistan Goods Transport Itehad, the striking transporters have dismissed official remarks, saying heavy vehicles will continue to stay away from roads.

Following talks a statement was issued on Tuesday by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, who was also convener of a committee constituted by the prime minister to negotiate with the transporters to persuade them to call off their strike.

The statement said that after two days of negotiations, it had been decided to set up a joint monitoring committee comprising Customs authorities and goods transporters.

It added that regarding axle load, the truckers expressed their full support for the communication minister's proposal, stating that the issue should be controlled at its source through a uniform policy. The meeting also deliberated on short- and long-term measures to address the challenges being faced by the transporters in dealing with Customs authorities.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar, who participated in the meeting via video link, assured the transporters of immediate and full cooperation on maritime-related matters. Speaking at the meeting, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan directed the authorities to promptly address the complaints of goods transporters about weighing stations. He stressed that state-of-the-art facilities with minimal human intervention would be established on all motorways.

At the meeting, which lasted five hours, detailed discussions were also held between senior officials of the Ministry of Petroleum and representatives of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Itehad, which comprised representatives of edible oil carrying tankers, petroleum oil tankers, container trailers, truckers and intercity goods carriers.

The Itehad, represented by Malik Shehzad Awan, Nasir Jafri, Owais Chaudhry, Qamar-uz-Zaman, Bakhtawar Khan and Shabar Malik, announced that their talks with the government had ended without any breakthrough. They emphasised that the nationwide wheel-jam strike would continue until their demands were met.

Itehad spokesman Muhammad Owais Chaudhry Advocate declared that the transporters would not withdraw from their legitimate demands. "We are ready to continue negotiations with the government, but the nationwide wheel-jam strike will continue until our demands are practically accepted," he said.

The transporters' key demands include effective and uniform implementation of the legally prescribed axle-load limit, relief in taxes, monthly revision in diesel prices instead of frequent changes and resolution of other issues.