Goods transporters to continue strike as negotiations with govt end without resolution

ISLAMABAD: The discussions held between the government and the All Pakistan Goods Transport Itehad on Tuesday were inconclusive and the demands made by the transporters have not been resolved.

The goods transporters had announced a country-wide wheel-jam strike on Saturday due to the daily fixation of petrol and diesel prices, among other problems.

Discussions took place at the Ministry of Communications in Islamabad on the demands made by the transporters.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan assured the transporters of full support of the government in settling the problems faced by the transporters.

However, the discussion did not end in any agreement or acceptance of the demands by the transporters, who announced the continuation of the wheel-jam strike until their demands were accepted.

“We are not going to retract from our ‘legal and legitimate’ demands,” Muhammad Owais Chaudhry, spokesperson of the transporters association, said.

Chaudhry said the transporters had now decided to move to their main protest camp to Karachi, adding that the minister and other authorities would have to travel to the city for further talks

The transporters’ key demands included effective and uniform implementation of the legally prescribed axle-load limit, relief in taxes, revision of diesel prices on a monthly basis instead of frequent changes, and resolution of other issues confronting the goods transport sector.

Chaudhry said the doors for negotiations remained open as the transporters wanted a peaceful resolution to their problems.

However, he made it clear that the strike would not be called off until the government accepted their demands.