A wheel-jam strike by goods and oil transporters has entered its third day, crippling cargo movement across Pakistan as negotiations with the government remain deadlocked over fuel pricing, taxes, and vehicle weight limits. With talks scheduled to resume today, both sides are holding firm, raising concerns among businesses about supply chain disruptions and economic fallout. Main Developments Talks between the striking transporters and the government continued until late Monday night, but no breakthrough was achieved. The next round of negotiations is expected to take place today, according to officials involved in the discussions. Transporters, operating under the All Pakistan Goods Transport Ittehad alliance, have put forward three key demands. They are seeking an increase in the permissible weight for 10-wheeler vehicles from 27.5 tonnes to 35 tonnes, a reduction in toll tax rates, and a shift to monthly diesel price revisions instead of daily adjustments. Additionally, they are calling for changes to customs duties and income tax. Read also: Pakistan Remittances Hit $3.6bn in July, Up 13% Year-on-Year The government's negotiating team, led by Communications Minister Aleem Khan and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, includes officials from the Federal Board of Revenue, ministries, ports and shipping, federal secretaries, and transport secretaries from all four provinces. Despite the high-level representation, the first round of talks on Monday morning proved inconclusive, with a second round later in the afternoon also failing to resolve the impasse. Alliance spokesman Advocate Mohammad Owais Chaudhry told Dawn that the transporters have clearly presented their position and will not show flexibility. He added that the government must accept their demands for the strike to end. On the government side, a senior official said the daily fuel adjustment was due to volatility in international markets and not a local issue, though the government is considering lowering toll tax for heavy vehicles and amending axle load limits. Background The strike began on Friday night, with oil tankers, edible oil tankers, trailers, and goods transport trucks going off the road ahead of the scheduled strike from Saturday. The government has since offered talks with the collective body of strikers, but the standoff has persisted. The transporters' demands span multiple ministries, reflecting the complexity of the issues. The weight limit and toll tax concerns fall under the National Highways Authority and the communications ministry, while diesel pricing is a matter for the petroleum ministry, and customs and income tax issues involve the FBR. This cross-ministerial nature has complicated the negotiation process. Why It Matters The continued suspension of cargo movement is already raising alarms among businessmen and exporters. Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Muhammad Rehan Hanif warned that prolonged disruption could have a cascading impact on industrial production, availability of raw materials, delivery of finished products, fuel supplies, domestic commerce, and export shipments. He urged all parties to consider the enormous damage being caused and called for an immediate resolution. Pakistan Textile Council (PTC) Chairman Fawad Anwar, in a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, highlighted that the strike could severely affect the country's textile and apparel supply chains. The industry relies heavily on uninterrupted transportation to move raw materials to manufacturing units and ensure finished export consignments reach ports on time. Anwar cautioned that the economic cost of the deadlock would increase with every passing day. What's Next Negotiations are set to resume today, with the government's team under pressure to find common ground. The KCCI has offered to mediate between the two sides, expressing hope that legitimate demands can be discussed and resolved through talks. For now, the strike continues, and the transporters show no sign of backing down. The government, while considering concessions on toll tax and axle load, maintains that daily fuel price adjustments are unavoidable due to international market volatility. The outcome of today's talks will be critical in determining whether the standoff ends or escalates further.