Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan is set to arrive in Karachi on Monday to meet with a delegation from the Goods Transport Alliance. The meeting comes ahead of a planned nationwide transport strike on December 19, sparked by rising frustrations over heavy traffic fines, vehicle impoundments, and what the unions describe as harassment by authorities.
The All Pakistan Transport Federation, along with several other transport unions including the InterCity Transport Union, Inter-District Transport Union, and the Goods Transport Union have announced their decision to hold a complete strike across the country on December 19. This strike is expected to bring all goods and public transport to a halt from Khyber to Karachi.
Leaders from the transport unions have voiced their strong objections to the new traffic challan and fine system. They argue that the government has not fulfilled promises made earlier, leading them to push for the strike as a form of protest. “On December 19, Pakistan will come to a standstill completely shut,” said union leaders Asif Khan, Lala Suhail, and Tariq Khan.
The unions strike will include a halt to bus, wagon, and rail services, as well as intra-city transport. Other sectors affected include markets, business centers, industrial units, factories, the banking sector, government offices, educational institutions, wholesale markets, and the supply chain for goods transport. In short, it will bring many areas of the country to a standstill, with unions demanding the withdrawal of the new traffic fines and challan system.
The meeting between Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and the 12 member delegation of transport leaders is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. today at the ongoing protest camp in Karachi. Both sides are expected to discuss the grievances of the transport unions in hopes of finding a resolution before the strike takes place.
With the deadline for the strike rapidly approaching, the unions are hoping their concerns are heard and addressed, avoiding the disruptions that a nationwide transport strike would cause. The government’s response to the ongoing negotiations will likely determine whether the planned strike will go ahead as scheduled or if an agreement can be reached in time.