Islamabad faces 72-hour deadline to release goods vehicles

Islamabad: The All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance has given the Islamabad administration and police 72 hours to release more than 3,000 loaded and empty vehicles that it says were stopped or detained during security arrangements for political protests. Alliance President Malik Shahzad Awan said the restrictions had disrupted cargo movement in Islamabad and several parts of Punjab, causing financial losses to transporters. He said the group would announce its next course of action if the vehicles were not released within three days. Authorities had placed shipping containers and imposed road restrictions in and around Islamabad ahead of a planned PTI march, which was later postponed to October 4. apnews.com The alliance’s figure of more than 3,000 affected vehicles and its claims of losses could not be independently verified.