Karachi: Preparations to block PTI’s October 4 march into Islamabad are disrupting freight movement from Karachi, where shipping containers are piling up as transporters refuse northbound journeys for fear of vehicle seizures.

The disruption has carried the economic cost of the capital’s political confrontation some 1400 kilometres south to Pakistan’s main trade gateway. Truckers say vehicles taken by police are being used to provide containers for barricades around Islamabad.

Rana Mohammad Aslam, president of the Karachi Goods Carrier Association, said authorities began stopping vehicles around September 5, before the march’s original September 27 date. Transporters said police requisitioned more than 2000 vehicles during September, sometimes holding loaded trucks for days with little or no compensation.

“This is not the way to stop protests,” Aslam told Reuters.

Routes serving Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Peshawar and Attock have been affected, he said. Some operators are refusing to travel beyond Gujranwala, while others are seeking alternative routes.

The delays carry costs beyond lost trips. Aslam said daily demurrage charges on a single affected container could reach Rs 30000 to Rs 40000. Operators must also meet drivers’ wages and fleet maintenance expenses while international shipping companies continue to demand payment.

The pressure comes as September’s transport price index rose 27.43 percent from a year earlier, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics figures cited by Reuters.

PTI’s march seeks jailed party founder Imran Khan’s release. Government and opposition representatives held an initial round of talks on Friday and agreed to resume discussions on Saturday, while the protest call remained in place.

Aslam said transporters were pursuing talks but could organise their own protest if their complaints remained unanswered.