The protest by former employees of Pakistan Steel Mills at the Bin Qasim railway track has come to an end, allowing train services to resume and reconnect Karachi with the rest of the country.

The protest, which had been ongoing for several hours, had completely disrupted rail traffic. Trains, including the Tezgam, Zakaria Express, and Shah Hussain, could not depart from Karachi’s Cantt Station. However, the first train, 47UP, successfully departed from Landhi Station, signalling the end of the disruption.

The protesting workers, who had been staging the demonstration on the Bin Qasim railway track, had earlier halted train services, affecting passengers traveling both to and from Karachi. According to sources, the Steel Mills unions had arranged a meeting with Sindh’s Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah, which was scheduled for Wednesday. After successful negotiations, the unions decided to call off the protest.

A spokesperson for Pakistan Railways confirmed the end of the protest, stating that train services had resumed with the departure of the 47UP train from Landhi Station. Before the disruption, a large number of passengers had been waiting at Cantt Station, including those for the Tezgam, which was scheduled to depart at 4:45 PM for Rawalpindi. Passengers had been waiting for several hours and appealed to the protesters to end their demonstration.

Tragically, a protester suffered a heart attack and passed away during the demonstration. The protesting employees had been demanding the rehiring of 6,000 workers. They warned that if their demands were not met, they would block the National Highway as well.

Earlier, the protesters, who had initially blocked the National Highway, moved their protest to the railway track, resulting in the closure of both tracks at Pappu Railway Station. This led to the suspension of train services coming to Karachi from various parts of the country.

In the wake of the disruption, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi contacted Sindh’s Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah over the phone. Hanif Abbasi requested the Chief Minister’s assistance in clearing the railway track. The Federal Minister expressed concern over the 7-hour suspension of train services, which had left passengers stranded. Chief Minister Shah assured him of his support in clearing the tracks promptly.

As of now, normal operations have resumed, bringing relief to both passengers and railway staff who had been affected by the long-standing protest.