Cargo stacks up as Pakistan seizes containers to block capital routes

Cargo is piling up at Karachi, the country's main port, after authorities moved to keep followers of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan away from the capital, Business Recorder reported. Truck operators are declining to travel north because they fear their vehicles will be impounded and their containers used as barriers around Islamabad. The barricades are meant to block a march by the PTI opposition party, now set for October 4 after an earlier postponement.

Drivers say police have been seizing vehicles and taking their loads, leaving them with lost income. Rana Mohammad Aslam, head of the Karachi Goods Carrier association, argued that the approach will not halt protests and that stops began around September 5, weeks before the original march date. Police reportedly seized over 2,000 vehicles in September, many still carrying goods, and owners have received little in return.

Aslam said demurrage on one container can reach Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 ($110 to $150) daily, adding to losses. Operators are finding it hard to meet driver wages and keep fleets running, as international shippers keep demanding payment whatever caused the delay. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported that consumer prices in September were 10.26% higher than a year earlier, while its transport price index rose 27.43%. Transporters have warned they may protest on their own if complaints remain unanswered, and Aslam is holding talks on a fix.