Road blockades in Sindh: Businessmen concerned over economic paralysis

KARACHI United Business Group (UBG) President Zubair Tufail and North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) President Faisal Moiz Khan have expressed serious concern over the economic paralysis caused by ongoing protests in Sindh.

They have appealed to Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif to immediately take notice of the protests and road blockades in Sindh, as this situation has severely disrupted the country’s economic activities.

Delays in import and export consignments are causing international embarrassment for Pakistan.

UBG President Zubair Tufail said the situation is becoming increasingly alarming, and if not addressed immediately, exports and imports will suffer greatly.

He urged both the provincial and federal governments to act promptly. He added that protests by lawyers and political activists have been ongoing for several days and have seriously impacted supply chains and freight movement.

Reports indicate that over 10,000 tankers are currently stuck at various locations, hindering uninterrupted fuel supply and severely disrupting the delivery of food items.

Fuel distribution has also been affected, posing a risk of fuel shortages that could impact all sectors.

He stressed the need to ensure the movement of tankers and cargo during road blockades in Sindh.

NKATI President Faisal Moiz Khan also expressed concern over the protests in Sindh, stating that continuous road blockades over several days have left thousands of commercial vehicles stranded, carrying imported/exported goods, oil, and food supplies.

These protests have paralyzed supply chain and freight movement, including the distribution of fuel from Karachi to other parts of the country.

There is now a growing risk of fuel shortages in northern regions and Sindh, while the delivery of wheat and vegetables has also been disrupted.

He emphasized that the situation is becoming critical and must be resolved urgently to prevent further damage to national trade.

He appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and ensure the movement of tankers and cargo during the road blockades in Sindh.

Faisal Moiz further stated that millions of rupees worth of goods are sitting in containers at Karachi’s ports, unable to be dispatched due to ongoing protests, causing businesses to suffer daily demurrage losses amounting to millions.

Business community representatives have urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate action and restore normalcy in Sindh.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025