Islamabad Barricaded with 2,000 Containers to Stop Imran’s Party, Residents Suffer

 International Desk

The government has effectively shut down the Pakistani capital Islamabad by placing thousands of heavy containers on various roads to prevent political protests, causing extreme hardship to ordinary people and transport traders.

The blockade is causing losses of crores of taka in the transport sector. At the same time, drivers stuck on the roads are facing severe hardships.

An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 containers have been placed on key roads to block the march to the capital by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In this situation, a trend has begun among local youth to jokingly call Islamabad ‘containerism’. However, behind the humor, the city is actually in serious crisis.

Al Jazeera reports that many drivers and transport traders have been stranded due to the containers and lorries that police have seized as part of the security measures.

The All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association has alleged that the police have illegally detained their vehicles. They are not being compensated for their daily income and losses. Meanwhile, foreign shipping companies are being fined a large amount of foreign currency every day due to the detention of their containers.

The government, however, has denied the allegations, saying that the container rent was taken as per the rules and based on the contract and that the rent will be paid on time.

The extent of the damage is not limited to container rentals. Business, trade and tourism are being affected due to road closures, and the movement of ordinary people is also being severely disrupted.

The economic damage is increasing due to the political stalemate. At the same time, public life in the capital is plunged into uncertainty and stagnation.