KARACHI: Transport organisations across Pakistan have announced a nationwide strike on Friday, December 19, in protest against what they describe as excessive traffic fines, vehicle impoundments and growing harassment by enforcement authorities. The call for a complete shutdown has been issued jointly by the All Pakistan Transport Federation, Inter-City Transport Union, Inter-District Transport Union, Goods Transport bodies and pickup-and-drop service unions catering to students and government employees.
According to transport leaders, the strike is expected to bring routine life across the country to a halt. They said all major modes of transportation, including goods carriers and public transport vehicles operating from Khyber to Karachi, will cease operations. The coordinated action, they added, reflects the frustration of a sector that feels overwhelmed by rising penalties and a new challan system they claim is “unfair and impractical”.
Representatives of the transport community, including Vice President Asif Khan, spokesperson Lala Suhail and Tariq Khan, stated that the shutdown will not be limited to inter-city or inter-district routes. They said intra-city transport, buses, wagons and vans will all remain off the roads. The impact is expected to extend far beyond the transport sector, with markets, shopping centres, industrial units, factories, wholesale hubs, petrol pumps, and even supply chains likely to be affected by the halt in goods movement.
They added that the ongoing dispute stems from the government’s failure to honour commitments made in earlier negotiations. Despite repeated assurances, the transport leaders claimed that the authorities had taken no steps to revise the heavy fines or address their complaints regarding alleged harassment by traffic officials.
The strike, they warned, will continue indefinitely until the government withdraws the new traffic challan and fine structure. They stressed that the decision for a wheel-jam strike was made only after consulting with multiple sectors that rely on transport services, many of whom expressed support for the protest.
Declaring December 19 a “complete shutdown,” the union leaders said the country would come to a standstill if the government does not initiate urgent dialogue. They urged officials to revisit the challan system and introduce what they consider fair, realistic and economically sustainable reforms.
With the nationwide strike expected to disrupt mobility, businesses and daily life, the government is now under pressure to respond quickly to prevent widespread inconvenience and economic losses.
