LAHORE: Pakistan’s leading trader organisations on Friday warned the Punjab and federal governments that they would be compelled to enforce a nationwide shutter-down strike if the authorities failed to immediately accept the demands of transporters protesting against the newly-introduced Traffic Ordinance 2025 and its “excessive penalties.”
Speaking at a joint press conference at the Lahore Press Club, Chairman Supreme Council of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran Naeem Mir and President of the Qaumi Tajir Ittehad Khalid Malik, flanked by representatives of the Goods Transport Alliance and other trader bodies, declared that the business community could no longer tolerate the ongoing disruption in goods movement caused by the four-day transport strike.
Transport leaders said that heavy fines imposed under the Traffic Ordinance 2025 were not only “unjustified” but in many cases far higher than the transport fares mutually agreed upon between shippers and operators.
They stated that drivers were being booked under multiple penalties from various departments, nearly ten in total, beyond standard traffic enforcement. “By treating every driver as a criminal and creating criminal records against them, the government is destroying livelihoods,” they said, adding that fear and harassment had forced many drivers to refuse to operate vehicles.
Transporters reiterated that trucks have already been parked and they are prepared to hand over their vehicle keys to the government if their concerns remain unaddressed. They warned that the supply of essential goods—including vegetables, fruits, water tankers, and oil tankers—has already been severely disrupted across the country.
Representing the trader community, Naeem Mir and Khalid Malik emphasised that the flow of goods to markets had come to a standstill, creating shortages and threatening commercial stability. “We have always stood by the Punjab government, but our grievances are not being heard. If the transporters’ demands are ignored, traders will have no option but to call for a shutter-down strike,” they declared.
They further stated that Lahore Chamber and Karachi Chamber of Commerce representatives had also expressed solidarity with the Pakistan Goods Transporters Alliance.
Appealing to political leadership, particularly Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the trade and transport leaders urged immediate intervention. “The business community is facing a crippling crisis. We request the Punjab and federal governments to hold meaningful negotiations, withdraw heavy fines, stop registering FIRs against drivers and ensure dignified treatment of transporters. Failure to resolve these issues will push traders across Pakistan to join the protest movement,” they warned.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025