In recent weeks, the streets of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, have resembled rather an assembly line for shipping goods. Almost 1,000 containers stuck in Islamabad have remained there for several weeks, and transporters have been calling for serious compensation for the losses incurred.
How Did the Containers Get Stuck in Islamabad?
Islamabad police have apprehended nearly 1,000 commercial shipping containers ahead of big political gatherings this month, including a march by Jamaat-e-Islami and another by the politburo of PTI, transporters say. Many of these containers are said to be deployed for road blockades, putting an end to normal movements of cargo.
The outcome was an unexpected view in a city noted for its trees and expansive street space. Across Islamabad, rows of shipping containers now line several intersections, making parts of this capital into an improvised shipping dock.
Yet, the Damage to the Financials is Real and Growing.
All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association has done an accurate computation of the costs. Two weeks since the containers were detained, losses are estimated at Rs. 280 million, or Rs. 28 crore, based on around Rs. 20,000 per container per day in demurrage and detention charges.
Transporters’ representative Advocate Muhammad Owais Chaudhry said the containers include items worth millions of rupees such as life-saving drugs and other key commodities. He has requested the immediate release of containers of these time-sensitive goods in particular.
What Are Transporters Asking for Over Containers Stuck in Islamabad?
There is a demand for more than just releasing the vehicles. Chaudhry has called on the government to provide formal compensation to the transporters affected rather than speaking. The association is saying the vehicles are not tools for preventing security lapses at political events but for trade.
There have been other expressions of this sentiment as well. Goods Transport Ittehad separately said that it has freed some 700 vehicles and containers held across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, saying these would be harming the transmission of perishable and needy goods if they continued their service.
How come this is happening so frequently?
This may not be an ongoing expense, as several political rallies are slated to continue in September. If more of the same businesses continue to be targeted during future demonstrations, they will continue to lose money.
This trend is similar to what governments determine as a security issue, which should not be considered a business cost.
The wider supply chain implications
Every detained container represents more than a parked vehicle. It’s a truck, a driver, a transporter and cargo meant to be on the move through the supply chain. The economic effects of these assets are felt far beyond the capital’s crossing points when they are not used for goods deliveries.
Conclusion
The stand-off over containers stuck in Islamabad has added a tangible cost of Rs. 28 crore, and the losses are still increasing. How the government responds will determine the cost of Islamabad’s protest season, as both transporters press both for immediate release and official compensation.
