Truckers are increasingly refusing to transport cargo towards northern parts of the country amid concerns that their vehicles could be seized and containers used to block roads into Islamabad ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protest scheduled for October 4.
Drivers and transport operators say police have been requisitioning trucks and containers for security arrangements, leaving cargo stranded and causing financial losses.
“Going towards Punjab at the moment is like committing suicide,” said truck driver Javid ur Rehman, 35, who has stopped making northbound journeys. He alleged that vehicles were being seized and containers taken by authorities, leaving transporters in distress.
Steel shipping containers filled with sand and welded together have been placed along major routes leading into Islamabad for weeks as authorities prepare for the planned PTI march. The protest was initially scheduled for September 27 but was later postponed to October 4.
Rana Mohammad Aslam, president of the Karachi Goods Carrier Association, said authorities began stopping vehicles around September 5, weeks before the original protest date.
According to transporters, more than 2,000 vehicles were requisitioned during September, with many reportedly remaining loaded with cargo for several days with little or no compensation.
The disruption has affected cargo routes connecting Karachi with Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Peshawar and Attock. Some transport operators have stopped journeys beyond Gujranwala, while others have opted for alternative routes.
Transporters say the seizure of vehicles and containers is adding to their financial difficulties amid rising operating costs.
Aslam said demurrage charges on a seized container can range between Rs30,000 and Rs40,000 per day, in addition to losses caused by delayed deliveries and idle trucks.
Official data showed consumer prices increased by 10.26 per cent year-on-year in September, while the transport price index rose by 27.43pc.
Aslam said transport operators were struggling to pay drivers and maintain their fleets, while international shipping companies continued to demand payments despite delays caused by security-related restrictions.
He said negotiations were under way to resolve the issue but warned that transporters could consider staging their own protest if their concerns remained unaddressed.
Another transporter, Pervaiz Khan, said he had kept a vehicle carrying chemicals parked in Karachi rather than risk travelling towards Punjab.
Drivers stranded near Islamabad have also expressed concern over lost working days and reduced earnings.
“If the roads open, our children’s livelihoods will open up,” said driver Sagheer Ahmed, adding that his family depended on his income.
