- Important broken supply chain connections.
- Gross supplies blocked at the port of Karachi.
- Tawab warned that the situation could trigger shortages.
Karachi: sending shock waves through the country’s economy, a national blocking of six -day roads by Sindh demonstrators paralyzed supply networks and interrupted local commercial and industrial activities, The news reported.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Investors Abroad (OICCI) said on Wednesday that companies are faced with extreme financial losses because shipments are still blocked and that an increasing container backlog transforms large commercial channels into virtual dead areas.
Currently, more than 3,500 vehicles – many of which carry export shipments, perishable products and vital industrial inputs – are stuck near Sukkur. Market supplies are already disrupted by the total stop of the transport of raw materials, and the shortages are imminent.
Important supply chain connections were broken by this disturbance. The raw supplies blocked at the port of Karachi could force the industries in several regions to close, while exporters are lacking the delivery times, which damaged the reputation of Pakistan as a trustworthy commercial partner and compromising future contracts, said the OICCI.
Unless it is resolved immediately, the blockade could lead to generalized industrial closures, job losses and prolonged and costly recovery, in addition to damaging the image of Pakistan as a regional shopping center.
The OICCI expressed its confidence that the competent authorities in the Sindh and the federal government include the urgency of the issue and will quickly take measures to restore the free movement of goods. Uninterrupted trade is essential to support national trade, maintain the competitiveness of exports and ensure economic stability.
In addition, Khalid Tawab, regional president of the United Business Group (UBG), called Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene urgently as current demonstrations and road blockages in the Sindh disturbing economic activity and threatening the country’s fuel supply chain.
One -week demonstrations – led by lawyers and political groups – have brought the circulation of goods to stop, including karachi fuel expeditions to the UpCountry regions.
Tawab warned that the situation could soon trigger shortages in northern Pakistan and certain parts of the Sindh, with hundreds of tank trucks stranded on the way.
“The situation is getting worse and, if it is not resolved, it will have a serious impact on our exports and imports,” Tawab said in a statement. “We urge the Prime Minister to facilitate the movement of tanks and cargo trucks in the middle of the blockages in progress.”
Industry sources estimate that more than 800 fuel oils are currently stuck due to the troubles. Tawab also called on the Sindh government to activate local authorities and ensure a safe passage for fuel transport across the province.
In a separate declaration published on Wednesday, the UBG chief boss, SM Tanveer, said that the blockade of the national highway seriously hinders the export capacities of Pakistan.
Tanveer has expressed profound concern about the disruption, highlighting recent statistics indicating a 12% drop in the country’s exports to the last quarter, partly allocated to logistical obstacles.
The UBG chief noted increasing anxiety within the business world concerning the continuous situation and the absence of a clear resolution. “The current blockage affects not only our export objectives, but also harm the reputation of the country as a reliable trading partner,” said Tanveer.
He underlined the critical need for an uninterrupted movement of export shipments to achieve established objectives. “We cannot afford to waste more time and opportunities. The government must take immediate measures to solve this problem,” he urged.
Tanveer called on the Sindh government to engage in negotiations with the protest parties and to persuade them to move their demonstrations far from the main highway to ensure the softness of the transport linked to export.
“We must find a solution that balances the rights of the demonstrators with the needs of the economy,” he said, stressing the urgency of a rapid resolution for the overall economic stability of the country and future growth.