Sindh governor apprised of issues facing Gwadar traders in Karachi
KARACHI: A delegation of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by it’s founding President Faisal Dashti, met with the Governor of Sindh, Nihal Hashmi at the Governor House here on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the delegation briefed the governor in detail about the challenges and difficulties faced by the traders/business individuals and passengers in Karachi and across Sindh. He assured full cooperation for the resolution of these issues.
A major concern raised was the severe congestion at the Rangers checkpoint in Karachi, where only three lanes are currently operational. All categories of vehicles — including cargo trucks, passenger buses, and private vehicles—are processed through these limited lanes, resulting in significant delays. Due to this bottleneck, clearance often takes several hours to per vehicle.
The delegation requested that the number of lanes be increased from three to five, and that the system be upgraded along with an increase in staffing to ensure smoother and faster processing of vehicles and passengers.
They also expressed concerns regarding Customs and police personnel stationed at and around the checkpoint. It was highlighted that even when vehicles have complete documentation, including Goods Declarations (GD), they are sometimes unnecessarily stopped and subjected to delays. There were also complaints regarding alleged demands for money in certain cases by the Customs and police personnel.
Another serious issue raised was the treatment of passengers arriving from the Makran region, including Gwadar, Turbat, and Panjgur. After disembarking at Karachi bus terminals, passengers — particularly those travelling by rickshaws, taxis, or private vehicles—are reportedly stopped at multiple points. Many of these passengers include women and children. They are allegedly subjected to unnecessary searches, harassment, and extortion, and in some cases forced to pay money under intimidation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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