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

ISLAMABAD: Talks between the federal government and the All Pakistan Goods Transport Itehad on Tuesday ended without a resolution, with the transporters’ demands yet to be settled.

The goods transporters had announced a countrywide wheel-jam strike on Saturday over the daily fixing of petrol and diesel prices, among other issues.

Held at the Ministry of Communications in Islamabad, the talks covered the transporters’ major demands in detail.

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan assured the transporters of the government’s full cooperation in addressing their concerns and resolving the issues faced by the sector.

However, the meeting concluded without any agreement or formal acceptance of the transporters’ demands and they subsequently announced that their nationwide wheel-jam strike would continue until their demands were accepted.

Talking to Dawn, Muhammad Owais Chaudhry, spokesman for the transporters’ association, said they would not withdraw their “legitimate and legal” 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.

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.

“The wheel-jam strike will continue until our demands are accepted,” he reiterated.