KARACHI: After negotiations with various government departments, goods transporters on Wed­n­esday called off their 10-day strike that had paralysed the movement of raw materials, local production and exports.

Nisar Hussain Jafri, chairman of the Pakistan Goods Transporters Allia­nce (PGTA), which represents around 20 major transport associations across the country, told Dawn that the government had accepted the group’s major demands and goods’ movement had resumed.

Earlier, PGTA President Malik Shehzad Awan announced the decision at a press conference at the Gulbai Truck Stand in Karachi along with Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar and Murtaza Wahab, representing the Sindh government. He said the strike was being withdrawn on assurances given by the authorities.

“We have called off the strike after it continued for 10 days. The decision was taken after the federal, Punjab and Sindh governments accepted our demands and signed the settlement document,” said Mr Awan.

He said the authorities had agreed to substantially reduce fines and resolve issues related to axle-load limits, the issuance of heavy transport driving licences, disputes with Customs authorities and the motorway police, and controversial provisions of the amended Punjab Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance 2025.

As part of the commitments, the meeting also decided the temporary allocation of 50 acres for truck parking opposite the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi Road under the administrative control of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT). It was also agreed that around 600 acres on the Northern Bypass (M-10) would be acquired from the Sindh government and earmarked for parking to ease congestion.

The decisions included construction of a 6km stretch of the Northern Bypass by April 2026, with the remaining portion to be completed subsequently. To further facilitate port traffic, the National Highway Authority plans to expand the route to six lanes, and a detailed design will be finalised by March 2026.

On reports of container-theft gangs stealing goods from import containers, the settlement also envisaged action by the Sindh police, with the provincial inspector general tasked with investigating the complaints and taking strict action against those involved.

All Pakistan Truck Trailer Owners Association Chairman Lala Yasir Naseer confirmed that freight movement had resumed following the announcement. “After being informed by our alliance, we have conveyed instructions to our members to resume business activities,” he told Dawn.

Transporters had gone on strike over what they described as excessive fines and had demanded the withdrawal of the Traffic Ordinance 2025.

Mr Akbar said heavy fines and the registration of FIRs against transporters had been abolished. He added that fitness certificates issued in Karachi would be recognised in Punjab and would be valid for six months.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had directed that truck stands be built in cities across the province, along with rest areas for drivers.

Mr Wahab, who is also Karachi’s mayor, said the Sindh government had taken transporters into confidence before making decisions affecting them.

Talks between goods transporters and representatives of the Punjab and Sindh governments, the Customs department and the Ministry of Communications were held on Tuesday but remained inconclusive.

Mr Jafri said a fresh meeting was held on Wednesday at the Customs House in Karachi, attended by the same government side and joined via video link by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Federal Minister for Communications Aleem Khan, Port and Shipping Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani.

Industrialists said the strike had begun in Punjab on Dec 8, with protests in cities including Rawalpindi and Lahore led by the Punjab Public Transport Association and the Goods Transporters Association against the provincial government’s enforcement of the Punjab Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Ordinance 2025.

They said the ordinance introduced sharply increased fines and penalties for traffic violations such as speeding, overloading and operating older vehicles, which transporters deemed an unbearable financial burden.

Industrialists estimated the textile sector alone incurred losses of around $500 million over the past 10 days, while stranded consignments attracted demurrage and detention charges at ports and factory premises.

They said production lines were forced to slow down or shut down due to disruptions in the supply of raw materials and the dispatch of finished goods, raising the risk of missed vessel sailings and cancellations of international orders.

The strike also affected the movement of industrial inputs from seaports to factories across the country.

Khalid Hasnain in Lahore also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2025