Pakistan: Government employees stage strike at Karachi port

The government employees of major institutions staged protests at Karachi Port on Friday, which caused a backlog in import and export traffic since containers were left at the port, with no clearance in place, according to ARY News.

The strike, as per details, was conducted by Pakistan Standard and Quality Control officers and employees at the Karachi Port.

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) former vice president claimed that the employees started the walkout because bonuses and incentives were being withheld.

The port's typical activity ceased as the strike progressed, with import and export containers building up since they couldn't move forward without the required clearance, reported ARY News.

The strike's effects were felt across the port's supply chain, affecting companies that depended on prompt shipments and raising worries among stakeholders and merchants.

Critics point out that over the years, Islamabad progressed as a consumption-led and import-led economy, creating a drain on its forex reserves, mainly dependent on funding from bilateral loans from GCC and China besides multilateral entities like the IMF, ADB & IDB.

Though Islamabad is claiming that it is always fighting against terrorism, over the years, liberal donors have always doubted this claim. This has damaged the reputation of Pakistan.

Dragged down by agitational politics, cataclysmic floods, import restrictions, and a dangling IMF bailout on top of bare minimum foreign exchange reserves, eventually forces its poor citizens to bear the brunt of uncertainty.