Pakistan’s effort to keep supporters of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan out of the capital has led to a pileup of shipping containers in the nation’s main port of Karachi, 1,400 kilometres away.
asserted
effort → keep → Karachi
Truckers are refusing to drive north, for fear their vehicles will be seized and the containers used to barricade Islamabad ahead of an Oct 4 march on the city planned by Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) opposition party.
asserted
containers → refuse → party
“Right now, going toward Punjab is like committing suicide,” said driver Javid ur Rehman, 35, who has halted such journeys, referring to Pakistan’s most populous province.
asserted
who → go → province
“The police seize the vehicles and snatch the containers, and then we are left distressed.”
asserted
we → seize → containers
Containers pile up as truckers halt northbound trips ahead of PTI march
Steel shipping containers, packed with sand and welded together, have lined the roads into Islamabad for weeks, in preparation against a march, postponed from Sept 27, to demand Khan’s release from prison.
asserted
containers → pile → prison
The former prime minister was jailed in 2023 after being ousted by parliament.
asserted
minister → jail → parliament
All convictions but one have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending.
asserted
appeals → suspend → one
His party remains under state scrutiny that has suppressed participation in recent protests, however, “This is not the way to stop protests,” said Rana Mohammad Aslam, president of the Karachi Goods Carrier Association.
asserted
Aslam → remain → Association
Authorities began stopping vehicles around Sept 5, weeks before the original march date, he said.
asserted
he → begin → date
Pakistan’s home, information, commerce and finance ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
asserted
ministries → respond → comment
Punjab police and the provincial home department also did not respond.
asserted
police → respond → ?
The containers are positioned ready for placement at key entry points into Islamabad, a capital region larger than the southeast Asian city state of Singapore.
asserted
containers → position → Singapore
Transporters battling rising prices say they cannot afford to have trucks seized.
asserted
trucks → battle → prices
Police requisitioned more than 2,000 vehicles in September ahead of the march, they added, many still loaded with cargo and held for days with little or no compensation.
asserted
many → requisition → compensation
Their reluctance is leaving containers piling up at Pakistan’s main trade gateway, Karachi.
asserted
containers → leave → gateway
The disruption was affecting routes to Islamabad, the military city of Rawalpindi, and the cities of Jhelum, Peshawar and Attock, Aslam said.
asserted
Aslam → affect → Jhelum
Some operators had halted journeys beyond Gujranwala in Punjab, while others took alternative routes.
asserted
others → halt → routes
The bills are mounting for those whose containers have been seized, as daily demurrage charges on one such container alone can run into Rs30,000 to Rs40,000 ($110 to $150), Aslam said, adding to losses from missed deliveries and idle trucks.
asserted
Aslam → mount → deliveries
Consumer prices rose 10.26pc in September from a year earlier, while the transport price index climbed 27.43pc, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.
Operators are struggling to pay drivers and maintain their fleets, as international shippers still expect payment regardless of the reason for the delay, Aslam said.
asserted
Aslam → rise → delay
He said he was holding talks to find a solution, but transporters could stage their own protest if complaints go unanswered.
For Pervaiz Khan, 50, the risk was enough to keep a load of chemicals parked in Karachi.
uncertain
risk → say → Karachi
“Right now, my vehicle is loaded, but I am not going,” said the father of five, adding that he had loaded his cargo of chemicals by night.
“We depart from Sindh, and the moment we enter Punjab, that’s when our troubles begin.”
asserted
troubles → load → Punjab
Drivers stranded near Islamabad regretted lost days of work or earnings.
asserted
Drivers → strand → work
“If the roads open, our children’s livelihoods will open up,” said Sagheer Ahmed, 51, who added that his children, awaiting him at home, relied on his earnings.
asserted
children → open → earnings
“If not, we will just keep standing.”
asserted
we → keep → ?
The Aporia
