Transporters and Punjab government reach agreement, strike called off

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Negotiations between transporters and the Punjab government concluded successfully on Thursday, resulting in the immediate end of the strike that had disrupted goods transport across the province.

Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb held discussions with representatives of the transport community and agreed to form a committee to resolve their issues.

The committee, chaired by Aurangzeb, includes key transporter representatives and will hold a meeting on Saturday to finalize solutions.

Haji Sher Ali Chaudhry, central president of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, along with other officials, signed the reconciliation agreement, officially ending the strike. “We welcome the decision of transporters and will solve issues through mutual understanding,” said Maryam Aurangzeb, emphasizing that the government’s priority is the safety of citizens and smooth transport operations.

Other transporter representatives involved in the talks included Nabeel Mahmood Tariq, Muhammad Riaz Khan Tajak, Chaudhry Maqbool Hussain, Rana Tariq Mushtaq, Malik Ejaz, Malik Maroof, Saif Shah Din Gujar, Faisal Bashir Bhatti, Malik Javed, and Haji Parvez Awan.

Haji Sher Ali assured that all transporters’ issues would be resolved by 10am tomorrow, with Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz and Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb overseeing the process.

He urged all transporters to resume operations immediately, saying, “The strike is over — vehicles should hit the road without delay.”

Riaz Tajak, chairman of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, echoed the sentiment, confirming that a meeting with the senior minister would take place to finalize demands. He added, “All friends should bring their vehicles on the road. Any issues can be reported to us, and only one challan per day will apply going forward.”

Nabeel Mahmood Tariq, president of the Pakistan Goods Transporters Association, said that the relief promised has been granted and the strike call has been officially withdrawn. He added that issues from fines to corporation matters would now be resolved, marking a smooth resumption of trade and transport activities.