BQATI is deeply concerned over blatant lawlessness in the country’s largest Industrial port area of Port Qasim, caused by the violent strike of edible oil tanker drivers. For the past one week, the corner of National Highway and Port Qasim, which is the main entrance to the country’s only industrial port, has been occupied by a crowd of hundreds of edible oil tanker union members and their tankers, who are at loggerheads with ghee mills over upcountry freight rates.
This is the second strike in recent months. The strike has crippled industrial activity in the area as the protest has turned extremely violent on a number of occasions, resulting in riots, shooting and burning of cargo-carrying tankers worth millions. The burnt oil tankers stayed for weeks at the main entrance of Port Qasim, aptly portraying the state of law and order and prospects of industrial growth in the country. The entrance to Port Qasim gets blocked and becomes extremely dangerous for staff and visitors of industries at Port Qasim to pass through. The situation is especially dangerous for foreign businessmen visiting the area and foreign nationals who are part of the management of several multinationals in the area.-PR
