KARACHI:

The SITE Association of Industry (SAI) has urgently called for the immediate launch of railway freight services, citing the worsening crisis caused by the ongoing strikes of goods transporters, which, according to SAI President Ahmed Azeem Alvi, have severely disrupted road transport and are significantly impacting Pakistan’s industrial operations as well as its overall trade activities.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Alvi emphasised that the absence of reliable and efficient cargo movement is placing immense pressure on businesses across multiple sectors, with supply chains experiencing serious bottlenecks that continue to escalate, and he stressed that the government must act swiftly to introduce an alternative solution, such as high-speed railway freight services, to ensure the uninterrupted flow of goods and prevent further damage.

Alvi urged the government to revive and expand railway freight services between Karachi and major cities across the country, noting that the introduction of high-speed cargo trains could dramatically reduce transportation time and costs while ensuring a steady and reliable movement of goods for both domestic supply and export commitments. “The strike has brought export and import cargo to a standstill, and exporters are unable to meet delivery deadlines, raising concerns about potential order cancellations,” he cautioned. He pointed out that containers stranded at ports are incurring heavy demurrage and detention charges, and warned that without timely delivery of raw materials, production could come to a halt.