Karachi, August 3, 2026 (Ghufran): The All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance has announced an indefinite nationwide strike beginning on August 8, warning that transport operations across the country will remain suspended until the government accepts its demands. Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Alliance leader Malik Shehzad Awan said transport associations from across Pakistan had unanimously decided to launch the strike. He stated that the protest would continue until the federal and provincial governments addressed the alliance’s charter of demands. He also called for the resignation of Federal Petroleum Minister Pervez Ali Malik. The alliance’s key demands include ending the daily revision of petroleum product prices and replacing it with a monthly pricing mechanism. It also called for the immediate withdrawal of the recent increase in fuel prices and the restoration of toll taxes to their June 30, 2024 levels.
Malik Shehzad Awan further demanded that the 7 percent withholding tax imposed on the goods transport sector be reduced to 2 percent, in line with the tax rate applicable to oil tankers. He also urged the government to strictly enforce axle load regulations and eliminate overloading across the transport industry. The alliance called for the withdrawal of Customs SRO 1619/2024, the issuance of Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) licenses only after proper testing of drivers, and the provision of adequate parking facilities for transport vehicles near Karachi Port and Port Qasim. Expressing concern over recent incidents in which transport vehicles were set on fire in Balochistan, the alliance urged the authorities to take immediate steps to improve the law and order situation and ensure the safety of transporters.
The transporters also rejected the law banning vehicles older than 20 years and opposed the provision requiring the payment of Rs9.7 million in compensation in the event of road accidents, demanding the immediate withdrawal of both measures. In addition, the alliance called for an end to the alleged extortion during vehicle registration in Sindh in the name of third-party insurance. The All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance warned that if its demands remain unaddressed, the nationwide strike will continue indefinitely, potentially disrupting the movement of goods and supply chains across the country.