Karachi, July 13, 2025 — In a dramatic turn of events, goods transporters from every corner of Pakistan have thrown their full weight behind the July 19 strike against the controversial tax laws introduced through the Finance Act, 2025.
This wave of resistance is rapidly growing into a massive national shutdown, as goods transporters pledge solidarity with the enraged business community.
Sources confirmed that top representatives of goods transporters’ associations and logistics alliances will make a formal declaration of support during their scheduled visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Monday, July 14. This development marks a major escalation in the protest, as transporters of goods, who form the logistical backbone of Pakistan’s economy, have decided to come to a grinding halt.
The July 19 strike, initially spearheaded by KCCI President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani, is gaining unprecedented momentum. On July 10, Bilwani announced the nationwide protest in response to what he called “an all-out assault on Pakistan’s business sector.” The Finance Act’s new laws—described by critics as draconian—have triggered widespread alarm throughout the commercial and industrial sectors.
“This isn’t just a KCCI call anymore,” Bilwani said in a fiery statement. “This is now a unified rebellion. From Karachi to Khyber, goods transporters, trade bodies, chambers—everyone is rising together. Enough is enough.”
The business community has condemned provisions such as the Rs. 200,000 cap on cash transactions, unchecked powers of arrest under Section 37A, and the imposition of digital invoicing and e-billing mandates. These measures, they argue, are designed to strangle enterprise rather than facilitate it.
Goods transporters, in particular, are furious. “These tax laws are a death sentence for the logistics sector,” said one transporter. “We move the nation’s lifeline—its goods. Without us, the country stops. And now we’re stopping in protest.”
With transporters of goods now in the fray, the July 19 shutdown is expected to paralyze supply chains nationwide. Markets, warehouses, and roads may fall silent, as Pakistan’s wheels of commerce screech to a coordinated halt.