Transporters demand immediate Rs400 million motorway compensation

The All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association has demanded that the government immediately release Rs400 million in compensation announced for goods transporters affected by the closure of the M1 and M2 motorways to commercial traffic.

Association president Muhammad Owais Chaudhry said the motorway closures had disrupted transport operations toward Islamabad, upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir. He said more than 2,000 vehicles were currently detained in Islamabad, Taxila, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Gujrat, Hafizabad, Jatli and Sialkot.

Chaudhry called for the immediate release of loaded vehicles. For empty vehicles that remain detained, the association is demanding Rs20,000 per vehicle per day.

He warned that continued delays in providing relief could further disrupt supply chains. TechJuice reported that many transporters were avoiding routes toward Islamabad and upper Punjab due to uncertainty. ProPakistani reported that Chaudhry described the closure of the motorways to commercial vehicles as not an appropriate decision. He said goods transporters were facing fear and uncertainty, while a large number of vehicles were no longer traveling toward Islamabad and upper Punjab. Without timely relief, the supply chain could come to a complete halt, according to ProPakistani.

The association said it had raised the issue with Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, the Islamabad police inspector general and other officials. However, Chaudhry said satisfactory practical measures had yet to be seen and transporters remained deeply concerned.

The M1 and M2 motorways are key freight routes connecting the federal capital with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of Punjab.