Pakistan: Goods transporters vow to continue strike after talks with govt fail
Islamabad, Aug 11
All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance have vowed to continue the ongoing strike as the talks between the government and goods transporters failed to produce an outcome, local media reported on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference, All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance President Malik Shehzad Awan has said that the deadlock persists and no concrete progress has been made on the demands raised by the transporters despite detailed talks with representatives of the federal and Sindh governments, Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune reported.
Awan said, "Negotiations have not been successful, and we have decided to continue the strike", adding that the doors for talks remain open; however, meaningful and visible progress is essential.
He emphasised that the government must take serious measures to resolve the issues and said that verbal assurances are not enough. He announced that the protest will continue until the government agrees to their demands.
He said, "The protest has entered a decisive phase. We will continue our peaceful struggle until our legitimate rights are secured."
Earlier on Saturday, the Pakistan Mini Mazda Association and the All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association announced a wheel-jam strike across the nation against the government's daily fuel pricing mechanism, excessive fines, and several issues affecting the transport sector.
All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association President Chaudhry Owais Gujjar said that axle-load limits should be enforced as per the law and mentioned rampant corruption in the enforcement process. He said that transporters paid billions of rupees each year in toll taxes while receiving little in return and termed dilapidated roads as a major cause of traffic accidents, The Express Tribune reported.
On Monday, the Pakistan government kept the prices of fuel unchanged. Petrol in Pakistan will be sold at Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 327.62 per litre, while high-speed diesel (HSD) will cost PKR 380.86 per litre. Pakistan government continues to impose PKR 114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol, while PKR 100 per litre has been enforced on HSD, Pakistan's another daily Dawn reported.
Earlier on July 17, Pakistan's Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Information Minister Atta Tarar announced that the fuel prices will be revised on a daily basis amid volatility in global oil prices after renewed hostilities in West Asia, adding that the changing rates would be published by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on its website, Dawn reported. He stated that the Ogra would decide the price of fuel on a regular basis based on international market trends. Since early March, the Pakistan government had been deciding fuel prices on a weekly basis.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting how Pakistan's transport sector is struggling with fuel prices, but their government keeps imposing heavy taxes. In India, we've also faced fuel price fluctuations, but at least our government provides some subsidies and infrastructure improvements. This strike is a clear sign that the common man in Pakistan is feeling the pinch of economic mismanagement.
The transporters' demand for enforcing axle-load limits per law makes total sense. Corruption in enforcement is a universal problem, and Pakistan is no exception. I hope they get justice, but with the current political instability there, the government might just let the strike continue rather than actually solve problems. 🙏
PKR 114 per litre in taxes on petrol is outrageous! This proves the Pakistani govt is fleecing its own people to fund other things. The transporters are doing the right thing by striking. Meanwhile, we in India are also pushing for better GST rationalisation. South Asia needs economic sanity!
A strike solves nothing, but the anger is justified. The Pakistani govt's daily fuel pricing is just a gimmick to make more money from citizens, not a genuine response to global oil trends. I've seen how our PSUs in India handle this - not perfect, but at least there's some predictability.
This is a predictable outcome when a country's economy is under pressure from global factors and internal mismanagement. The roads being in bad shape while toll taxes are collected is a classic story we recognise in India too. The authorities on both sides need to focus on basic infrastructure!
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