Nationwide Transport Strike in Pakistan Against Fuel Prices and Heavy Fines Set for August 8

Islamabad, August 7: The transport sector in Pakistan has launched a protest against the government’s policy of daily fuel price adjustments and excessive fines. The Pakistan Mini Mazda Association and the All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association have announced a nationwide strike starting August 8. Transporters have warned that this strike will severely impact imports, exports, and domestic freight services across the country.

Tanveer Jutt, central president of the Pakistan Mini Mazda Association, urged the government during a press conference to address the transporters’ demands before the strike. He called for fuel prices to be set on a monthly basis rather than daily. Additionally, he requested relief from toll taxes and “unjust fines” for transporters.

Chaudhry Owais Gujjar, president of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association, emphasized that axle-load limits should be enforced according to the law, and corruption in the enforcement process must be curbed. He pointed out that transporters pay billions in toll taxes annually but receive little in return, with poorly maintained roads being a major cause of accidents.

This strike announcement comes at a time when the Pakistani government has implemented a daily pricing system for fuel amidst fluctuations in global oil prices due to tensions in the Middle East.

On Thursday, the Pakistani government announced a reduction in petrol prices by 3.19 Pakistani rupees per liter and high-speed diesel (HSD) by 1.50 Pakistani rupees per liter. According to the Petroleum Division, the new prices will be effective from Friday, August 7.

Following the new rates, petrol will be sold at 329.82 rupees per liter and HSD at 382.36 rupees per liter. The government has imposed taxes and fees of 110 rupees per liter on petrol and 96 rupees per liter on HSD.

On July 17, Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Parvez Malik and Information Minister Ata Tarar announced that due to instability in the global oil market resulting from tensions in the Middle East, fuel prices would now be determined daily. They stated that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) would publish changing rates on its website and set fuel prices based on international market trends. Since early March, the Pakistani government has been adjusting fuel prices weekly.