KARACHI — Pakistan's efforts to prevent supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan from entering the capital have created a severe backlog at Karachi, the nation's primary port, 1,400 kilometers south of Islamabad.
Truckers are refusing to move goods northward into Punjab, fearing police will seize their vehicles. Authorities plan to use the containers to barricade Islamabad ahead of an Oct. 4 march organized by Khan's opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Javid ur Rehman, 35, a truck driver, said trips to Punjab now feel like "committing suicide." He said police seize vehicles and containers, leaving drivers stranded, and he has stopped making the route.
Steel shipping containers filled with sand and welded together have lined roads into Islamabad for weeks. Police requisitioned more than 2,000 vehicles in September in anticipation of the march, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 27. Many trucks were held for days while still loaded with cargo, often with little or no compensation.
Imran Khan was imprisoned in 2023 following his ouster by parliament. Most of his convictions have been suspended or overturned with appeals pending, but his party remains under state scrutiny, limiting participation in recent PTI protests.
Rana Mohammad Aslam, president of the Karachi Goods Carrier association, said authorities began stopping vehicles around Sept. 5, weeks before the initial march date. "This is not the way to stop protests," he said.
Pakistan's home, information, commerce and finance ministries did not respond to requests for comment. Punjab police and the provincial home department also did not respond.
Transporters, already facing rising operational costs, cannot afford to have trucks requisitioned. Some operators have ceased journeys beyond Gujranwala in Punjab, while others use alternative routes to avoid seizures. The disruptions affect critical routes to Islamabad, the military city of Rawalpindi, and the cities of Jhelum, Peshawar and Attock.
Daily demurrage charges for a single seized container range from 30,000 to 40,000 rupees ($110 to $150), according to Aslam. These charges compound losses from missed deliveries and idle trucks.
Economic data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed consumer prices rose 10.26 percent in September compared to a year earlier. The transport price index climbed 27.43 percent. International shippers continue to demand payment regardless of the disruptions faced by local operators.
