Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani on Friday issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for immediate and decisive intervention to resolve the ongoing nationwide transporters’ strike.
In a letter addressed to the P.M., Bilwani noted that the strike had been ongoing for four days, bringing Pakistan’s logistics and transport systems to a complete standstill, disrupting trade, and severely damaging the already fragile national economy. “Export consignments remain stuck at factories and warehouses, while import containers are stranded at port terminals under the custody of terminal operators and foreign shipping lines,” he wrote. “This disruption is inflicting heavy financial losses on the business community and creating a cascading effect on industrial productivity and national economic stability,” he added.
Emphasizing that the delay in export shipments may trigger missed deadlines, canceled orders, and the permanent loss of international buyers, he lamented that this both tarnished Pakistan’s credibility as a reliable trading partner and jeopardized future export prospects. “On the import side, the inability to move containers is choking supply chains, delaying production, and pushing industries into operational chaos,” he warned.
Highlighting the burden of rising demurrage and detention charges being imposed in U.S. dollars by port authorities and foreign shipping lines, he said the “unjust” practice was compounding the financial distress of businesses. “The remittance of these payments abroad is further depleting our already limited foreign exchange reserves, worsening our balance of payments crisis,” he added.
On the impact on perishable exports, Bilwani warned of a looming catastrophe. “Pakistan’s fruits and vegetables, which form a vital part of our agro-based exports, rely on refrigerated containers and timely transport,” he said. “Due to the current disruption, fresh produce is rotting, consignments are being rejected abroad, and exporters are incurring devastating losses. This crisis is not just threatening the agricultural economy but damaging our long-term reputation in international markets,” he reiterated.
The KCCI president expressed strong disappointment over the lack of government action. “It is deeply concerning that despite the magnitude of this crisis, there appears to be no serious effort from either the federal or provincial governments to resolve the matter,” he wrote. “The absence of coordination and leadership is pushing already strained businesses toward potential collapse, mass layoffs, and long-term damage to the formal economic sector.”
Urging the prime minister to bring all stakeholders to the negotiating table immediately, he stressed on the need for a mediated resolution to the strike, relief from unjustified demurrage and detention charges, and immediate clearance of the backlog of consignments. “Many exporters are now being forced to shift to air freight, which is significantly more expensive and adds to the financial strain on already suffering businesses,” he said.
“The business community is counting on the prime minister’s leadership to end this impasse,” he wrote. “Only decisive action at the highest level can restore normalcy, protect Pakistan’s trade and industry, and safeguard the national economy from further deterioration,” he added.