FAISALABAD: Ahmad Afzal Awan, S Vice Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMA), North Zone has expressed serious concern over the continuing countrywide strike of goods transporters, warning that the disruption is putting Pakistan’s exports, industrial production and foreign exchange earnings at substantial risk.
He said that millions of dollars’ worth of export orders are at risk as factories are facing severe difficulties in moving raw materials, finished goods and export consignments. A large number of containers carrying export and import cargo are stuck at ports, terminals and various points across the country, creating serious disruptions throughout the supply chain.
Ahmad Afzal Awan said that the strike is not merely a transportation issue; it has become a major threat to the country’s export-oriented industries. Factories and their entire supply chains are being disrupted, while exporters are facing the possibility of missing shipment deadlines and delivery commitments to international buyers.
He cautioned that prolonged disruption could result in loss of valuable foreign exchange earnings at a time when Pakistan urgently needs to strengthen its exports. He said, loss of an international buyer can potentially mean loss of years of business, as global buyers may shift their orders to competing countries if Pakistani suppliers repeatedly fail to meet delivery schedules.
The S. Vice Chairman, PHMA North Zone, urged the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, and the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, to take immediate notice of the situation and personally intervene to resolve the dispute at the earliest. He stressed the need for effective measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of export and import cargo across the country and to prevent further disruption to trade and business activities.
He further emphasized the need to establish a permanent institutional mechanism involving the government, transporters, exporters and other stakeholders, so that future disputes or strikes do not bring Pakistan’s export operations and industrial supply chains to a standstill.
He said, “Pakistan cannot afford a situation where a transport strike puts millions of dollars in export orders and the country’s hard-earned international markets at risk. We need a permanent mechanism to ensure that exports continue without interruption, even during future disputes.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026