Freight Operators Warn Protest Barriers Risk Paralyzing Pakistan’s Supply Chains

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani freight transporters issued a stark warning on Thursday, stating that road closures and vehicle seizures ahead of an opposition march on the capital are severely disrupting cargo movement and threatening to completely halt supply chains, prompting the government to formulate contingency plans to ensure fuel transportation.

Authorities have significantly tightened access to Islamabad in anticipation of a September 27 march by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Major routes have been blocked with shipping containers, motorway traffic restricted, and thousands of security personnel deployed.

These security measures have specifically targeted routes originating from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the province where Khan’s party holds power and from which a significant number of protesters are expected to travel toward the capital.

Muhammad Owais Chaudhry, president of the All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association, stated that transporters are refusing to dispatch vehicles to Islamabad, upper Punjab, KP, and Kashmir due to ongoing vehicle seizures and strict restrictions on commercial traffic.

“Goods transporters are gripped by fear and uncertainty,” Chaudhry stated. “If timely relief is not provided, the supply chain will come to a complete standstill.”

Chaudhry noted that over 2,000 vehicles had been seized across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Gujrat, Sialkot, and other cities, urging authorities to immediately release loaded commercial vehicles.

He further criticized the restrictions imposed on commercial vehicles utilizing the M-1 motorway, which connects Islamabad and Peshawar, the capital of KP, and the M-2 motorway linking Lahore and Islamabad.

The National Highways and Motorway Police confirmed on Thursday that the M-1 motorway was closed between Swabi in KP and Islamabad, while heavy transport vehicles were prohibited from using the M-2 motorway between Kot Momin and the capital.

The motorway authority attributed both restrictions to the prevailing “law and order situation,” as authorities attempted to prevent protesters from reaching Islamabad.

Chaudhry urged the government to establish a compensation mechanism for empty vehicles that have been impounded by authorities.

Over 2,000 shipping containers have been strategically positioned in Islamabad and Attock—a Punjab district bordering KP that serves as a crucial gateway between the northwestern province and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area—as part of comprehensive security preparations. These measures include blockades around major roads, highways, and the capital’s high-security Red Zone.

The PTI has organized the September 27 march to demand Khan’s release from prison. The former prime minister has been incarcerated since August 2023 and faces a series of convictions and charges that he and his party assert are politically motivated, though the government denies targeting him for political reasons.

The severe disruption has also compelled the government to make contingency arrangements for essential fuel supplies.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik directed authorities on Thursday to prepare for potential interruptions to petroleum transportation should road closures or security issues arise.

Pakistan Railways informed a meeting chaired by Malik that it would allocate the maximum number of train wagons to transport high-speed diesel if road movement is disrupted, with a particular emphasis on maintaining supplies to KP.

Pakistan State Oil confirmed it had already positioned additional petroleum stocks at critical depots in anticipation of possible disruptions, while the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has established a dedicated control room to coordinate fuel supplies.

Malik also directed authorities to ensure uninterrupted crude oil supplies to the Attock Refinery and to facilitate the movement of its finished products, preventing logistical constraints from forcing a potential shutdown.

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