Textile industry urges govt to end transport strike, warns of export disruptions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s textile industry has called on the government to take immediate measures to resolve the ongoing goods transporters’ strike, warning that a prolonged suspension of freight services could disrupt export shipments, restrict the supply of cotton and affect the operations of textile mills across the country.
The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has formally approached Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, seeking urgent government intervention to restore the movement of goods and industrial cargo.
According to the association, the All Pakistan Goods Transport Ittehad began an indefinite strike on August 8, creating significant logistical challenges for export-oriented industries, particularly the textile sector.
APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad said the strike had severely affected the availability of vehicles and containers required for transporting textile-related cargo. Export consignments awaiting shipment, imported cotton arriving through ports and locally purchased cotton being transported from markets to textile mills have all been affected by the disruption.
The association said the lack of transportation was creating difficulties at multiple stages of the textile supply chain. Export containers cannot be moved efficiently, while imported raw materials face delays in reaching manufacturing facilities. At the same time, locally sourced cotton is also experiencing transportation constraints.
APTMA cautioned that the timing of the strike was particularly concerning because cotton inventories at textile mills were already at relatively low levels following the end of the cotton season.
Any prolonged interruption in the movement of cotton, it said, could eventually affect manufacturing activity as mills depend on a steady supply of raw materials to maintain production.
The association warned that a slowdown in textile production could have broader economic consequences, including delays in export orders, disruption to employment and reduced foreign exchange earnings.
Pakistan’s textile sector remains one of the country’s most important export-oriented industries, generating a significant share of the country’s foreign exchange through shipments of garments, textiles, yarn, fabrics and other related products. Industry-wide logistical problems could therefore have repercussions beyond individual mills and exporters.
APTMA noted that the textile industry had faced similar transportation disruptions in the past, resulting in delays in export consignments, additional financial costs and interruptions to factory operations.
The association stressed that cargo movement is an essential component of export activity and that any prolonged blockage could make it more difficult for exporters to meet delivery schedules agreed with international buyers.
It urged the Communications Ministry to facilitate the immediate movement of essential industrial cargo while efforts continue to settle the dispute between transporters and the government.
APTMA specifically called for priority arrangements for export containers, imported cotton and other raw materials, as well as locally procured cotton destined for textile mills.
The association maintained that ensuring uninterrupted logistics was essential not only for the textile industry but also for protecting Pakistan’s export commitments and broader economic activity.
APTMA has consequently appealed to the government to intervene on an urgent basis and establish arrangements that would allow the movement of critical industrial and export cargo until the transporters’ strike is brought to an end.
