Goods transporters and government representatives are set to hold a fresh round of negotiations in Karachi on Sunday as a nationwide wheel-jam strike enters its ninth day, disrupting the movement of essential commodities and other goods.
All Pakistan Goods Transporters Alliance President Malik Shahzad Awan said the meeting would take place at 3pm at Governor House, with representatives of the federal, Punjab and Sindh governments expected to participate.
Awan said the strike remained in effect across the country as transporters continued to press for what they described as their legitimate demands.
He expressed hope that the latest negotiations would produce a breakthrough and allow freight operations to resume.
“Hopefully, the problems will be resolved soon, and transport’s wheels will come into motion again,” Awan said.
The two sides have already held two rounds of negotiations, but both concluded without an agreement.
Transporters began the nationwide stoppage over grievances including taxation, increasing operating expenses and what they say is inadequate implementation of transport policies.
The prolonged shutdown has increasingly affected the transportation of food and other goods, prompting concerns that continued disruption could have a wider impact on supply chains across the country.