Transport sector faces shutdown risk owing to rising fuel prices: PPDA

KARACHI: Vice Chairman of Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) Malik Sher Khan has warned that around 70 percent of transport operations have currently come to a standstill due to rising petroleum prices, with another 25 to 30 percent at risk of closure if the situation persists for the next 15 days. Addressing a ceremony organised by Shaheen Group to honour high-performing employees and pilgrims departing for Umrah, Sher Khan, who is also Chief Executive of Shaheen Group of Companies, said oil and goods transporters play a vital role in the national economy and support thousands of families. He said continuously rising petroleum prices had severely affected the transport sector, increased transportation costs and put pressure on the supply chain of essential goods to local markets. According to Sher Khan, transporters are struggling to balance per-kilometre fares with rising operational expenses while also facing a heavy tax burden. He said the difficulties facing transporters could have wider implications for the movement of goods across the country. He also criticised the government’s newly announced fuel relief scheme, saying it had been introduced without consultation with transporters and other relevant stakeholders. According to him, the lack of consultation could complicate the situation instead of resolving the sector’s problems. Sher Khan said Jamaat-e-Islami had been staging a sit-in for several days against fuel price increases, but effective government action had yet to be seen. He urged the government to take immediate and practical measures to restore confidence among traders and transporters, particularly by providing relief on petroleum prices and developing a permanent policy framework for the transport sector. He warned that continued neglect of the transport sector, which he described as the backbone of nationwide goods distribution, could result in supply-chain disruptions, shortages in markets and increased inflation. The ceremony was attended by PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh, Vice Chairman Tariq Hassan, Anwar Kamal, Sindh Region President Amir Khan, Karachi Division President Saeed Khan, Senior Member of Sindh Revenue Board Abdul Hamid Memon, SRB Commissioners Amir Ali and Muhammad Iqbal Lakho, Managing Director of Shaheen Freight Services Major (Retd.) Malik Jahan Khan, Director Naseer Ahmad Khan and other prominent figures. Seven top-performing employees of Shaheen Group were also awarded cars as prizes at the event. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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