Karachi, April 18, 2025 – The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has issued a pressing call for immediate intervention by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resolve the ongoing nationwide strike by transporters, which has entered its fourth consecutive day.
According to the KCCI, the strike has paralyzed the country’s logistics and cargo systems, severely impacting industrial and trade activities across Pakistan.
KCCI President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister on Friday, expressing deep alarm over the economic consequences of the unresolved strike. “Export consignments are piling up at factories and warehouses, while import containers remain stranded at ports,” he wrote. “The ripple effects are devastating—disrupted supply chains, halted production lines, and mounting financial losses for the business community.”
Bilwani emphasized that the continued delay in export shipments is not only hurting businesses but also risking Pakistan’s reputation as a reliable trading partner. “Missed delivery timelines, canceled international orders, and the potential loss of future business is a price the economy can’t afford,” he warned.
He further highlighted the crushing burden of demurrage and detention charges being levied by foreign shipping lines and terminal operators. These fees, calculated in U.S. dollars, are adding severe financial pressure on already struggling Pakistani businesses. “These payments, once remitted abroad, directly eat into Pakistan’s scarce foreign exchange reserves and deepen the balance of payments crisis,” Bilwani noted.
Particularly concerning is the impact on perishable exports. Bilwani stressed that agricultural exporters, especially those shipping fruits and vegetables in refrigerated containers, are facing catastrophic losses. “Rotting produce and rejected consignments are not just costing exporters millions—they are damaging Pakistan’s long-term credibility in international food markets.”
Expressing disappointment over the government’s apparent inaction, KCCI criticized the lack of coordination between federal and provincial authorities. “There is an alarming absence of leadership in managing this crisis,” Bilwani said. “Businesses are on the brink of collapse, with looming layoffs and irreversible losses.”
He called on the Prime Minister to urgently convene all stakeholders, resolve the strike through dialogue, and provide relief from unjust charges. “A decisive and coordinated response is the only way to end the strike, protect Pakistani trade, and revive economic stability,” the KCCI president concluded.