EDITORIAL: More than a week after the transporters’ strike ended, cargo movement at Karachi’s ports remains far from normal. What should have been a gradual return to order has instead slid into near-chaos, exposing the extraordinary leverage transporters wield over systems vital to Pakistan’s exports, industry and agri produce.
As pointed out recently by Karachi Customs Agents Association general secretary, the backlog of thousands of consignments spilling onto city roads has overwhelmed transport routes, demonstrating that this is no ordinary post-strike congestion. A single, prolonged shutdown, triggered by the strike, was enough to paralyse supply chains, stall production and unsettle markets, clearly revealing how easily this pressure point can be exploited.
The disorder at display spotlights the transporters’ readiness to slip into protest mode at the drop of a hat, sometimes over issues as basic as compliance with road safety regulations. While some of their grievances — police harassment or lack of consultation over policies that directly affect their livelihoods — may carry weight, the chosen method of redress is fast becoming indefensible.
Repeatedly resorting to days-long strikes and holding the economy hostage goes beyond legitimate protest. It reveals a sector that has disproportionate power, few checks, and is willing to impose costs on traders, industrialists and ultimately the public at large.
The strike has triggered a sharp surge in freight rates, with journeys that previously cost Rs20,000-30,000 now commanding Rs50,000-60,000, an increase of up to 200 percent that is directly being passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. This is on top of the losses already borne by the economy through the strike period, with the textile sector alone bearing losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars due to delayed shipments and halted production.
The aftermath of the strike has also exposed deeper, long-ignored infrastructural failures in Karachi’s port areas.
Choked arteries, broken roads and poorly planned access routes to the ports have turned cargo clearance into a logistical nightmare, underscoring how ill-equipped the city is to absorb sudden surges in freight movement.
The vulnerabilities of Pakistan’s largest container terminal, South Asia Port Terminals, are especially glaring: access is limited to a single, overburdened road carrying container trucks, heavy trailers, public transport and local traffic all at once, creating a built-in bottleneck that collapses under pressure.
Similarly, the roads servicing the Karachi International Container Terminal are in a state of decay and operate with minimal traffic regulation.
Even under normal conditions, movement along these arteries is agonisingly slow, making any surge in cargo volumes almost certain to tip the system into near-paralysis.
Given this context, the prime minister’s recent announcement of a comprehensive reforms package for the country’s port infrastructure is entirely welcome, timely and necessary.
Beyond steps to cut cargo dwell times, reduce port charges and modernise facilities, the plan’s focus on strengthening rail connectivity to ports is particularly noteworthy. There is an urgent need to shift a greater share of port-bound cargo to Pakistan Railways, relieving the relentless pressure on roads that have long borne the weight of heavy truck traffic, suffered chronic congestion and remained highly susceptible to disruption.
Rail transport offers clear advantages: it is more cost-effective, more efficient for moving bulk cargo and far less exposed to the blackmail and strong-arming that have plagued road-dependent logistics. A strategic shift towards rail would safeguard trade flows and create a more resilient and sustainable system, reducing the economy’s exposure to sudden strikes or other road-based disruptions.
The government must realise that such interruptions to cargo movement cannot be tolerated again, and that it possesses tools to safeguard trade and supply chains, with a stronger reliance on railways offering arguably the most reliable solution.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025