By Dr Lubna Farah
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s All-Pakistan Goods Transporters Alliance has given the government 72 hours to release freight vehicles and containers held in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other parts of Punjab, warning that it will announce further action if the vehicles are not returned to their owners.
Alliance president Malik Shehzad Awan said more than 3,000 loaded and empty vehicles were currently affected at different locations. He said the alliance would decide on its next course of action if the vehicles were not released within the deadline.
The figure of more than 3,000 vehicles is, however, a claim by transport representatives rather than a final figure independently verified by the government or police.
More than 3,000 vehicles reportedly affected
According to Awan, freight vehicles carrying both loaded and empty containers have been stopped at various locations across Islamabad and Punjab.
Previous figures reported by transport representatives have varied. Around 700 vehicles or containers were reportedly said to have been held in mid-September. On 24 September, All-Pakistan Goods Alliance chairman Nisar Hussain Jafri was reported as putting the number at at least 2,700 vehicles.
Awan’s latest estimate on 28 September was more than 3,000.
The different figures should not necessarily be treated as contradictory because some statements refer to vehicles, while others refer specifically to containers or vehicles at particular locations.
Alleged re-stoppage of vehicles in Rawalpindi and Chakwal
Awan said around 50 vehicles were stopped again in Rawalpindi after leaving Islamabad.
He further alleged that approximately 40 loaded vehicles were subsequently stopped in areas including Balkassar, Talagang and Chakwal after travelling from Rawalpindi.
No comprehensive independent figures confirming these specific numbers from the relevant district administrations or police have been publicly established in the material reviewed. The figures should therefore be attributed to the transporters.
Potential economic impact
The consequences of prolonged restrictions on freight movement could extend beyond Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Pakistan’s supply chain connects the country’s ports, national highways, industrial centres and major markets. Continued disruption could result in:
delays in food distribution;
disruption to medicine supplies;
delays in the movement of industrial raw materials;
delays affecting import and export cargo;
financial losses for transport companies and drivers; and
additional storage, demurrage and logistics costs.
The scale of any wider economic impact will depend on the duration and geographic extent of the disruption.
