KARACHI, Oct 12: President, Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry (BQATI), Usman Ahmed, has said that violent strike of edible oil tanker drivers is crippling industrial activities.

For the past one week, a section of the National Highway at Port Qasim, which the main entrance to country’s only industrial port, has been occupied by hundreds of edible oil tanker union members and their tankers, who are in a dispute with ghee mills over upcountry freight rates.

This is the second strike in recent months. The strike has hit industrial activity in the area as protest has turns 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.

He urged the authorities to take action to prevent further damage to the industrial and economic activities.