Due to road blockages in several cities across the country, long queues of vehicles have formed at the Sindh and Punjab border, with the risk of goods in the vehicles spoiling.
According to media reports, the daily supply of 4 million eggs from Kamalia has been halted, and in the last two days, ten livestock have died in stranded vehicles. The supply of grains, vegetables, and fruits has been interrupted in Islamabad and various cities of Punjab, leading to sky-high vegetable prices. The price of tomatoes has reached triple digits, and onions have hit double-century prices.
The cost of chicken meat in Lahore has also risen. There are fears of running out of petrol and diesel stocks in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
In many cities of Punjab, including Sialkot, the closure of internal and external routes has caused the price of tomatoes to soar to 700 rupees per kilogram. Due to the road blockages, people are facing severe difficulties, as vegetables and fruits cannot reach the markets, allowing profiteers to hike prices further.
It has been reported that tomatoes, which were selling for 120 rupees per kilogram, are now priced at 700 rupees, green chilies are at 400 rupees per kilogram, cauliflower at 300 rupees per kilogram, potatoes at 220 rupees per kilogram, and onions at 250 rupees per kilogram. Similarly, the prices of other vegetables have increased by 100 to 150 rupees per kilogram. Citizens are forced to buy vegetables at these inflated prices.
Ajmal Baloch, president of the All Pakistan Traders Association, said in a press conference that the situation across the country is chaotic, causing public distress. The closure of roads has led to industries being shut down, and businesses are at a standstill, leaving the trading community in a state of worry.
He mentioned that containers carrying goods are stranded on the roads across the country, making it impossible for medical supplies to reach many pharmacies. Patients’ access to hospitals has also become impossible, with people dying in ambulances but unable to get through due to roadblocks. He warned that this chaos could lead to a shortage of food items nationwide and called for a political solution to the crisis.
On this issue, Tanveer Ahmed Jutt, central president of the Pakistan Transport Council, said that the police have been seizing thousands of loaded containers and trucks for the past four days to block the roads. He added that their daily losses amount to millions of rupees due to the seized containers and trucks, which are carrying medicines, vegetables, fruits, electronics, and import-export goods. He warned that if the containers and trucks are looted by enraged protesters, the government will be held responsible.
He stated that these containers and trucks could cause major accidents, urging the government to use state resources and institutions to address road blockages. He emphasized that the goods transport sector had already been devastated by the government’s wrong policies and urged the Prime Minister to show mercy on transporters and drivers by releasing the containers. He warned that if the containers and trucks are not freed, they will be forced to make tough decisions.
Additionally, the president of the All Pakistan Public Transport Owners Federation stated that they have no political affiliations, but their bus stations have been closed for four days, causing severe difficulties for transporters. They have incurred millions of rupees in losses, and neither the government nor the administration has made any contact with them.
