LAHORE: Despite motorways and highways remaining open, transporters have warned that devastating floods in Punjab are causing significant delays along other key supply routes, disrupting the flow of goods across the country.
All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance President Nisar Hussain Jafri said that shipments between Karachi and Punjab — both import and export consignments — have been delayed by two to three days for much of the past week. Under normal conditions, cargo typically completes the journey in the same time frame.
He added that the absence of diversion signs in flood-hit areas has worsened the situation, with container trucks often forced into dead ends and backtracking, wasting both time and fuel.
The agriculture sector is already feeling the strain. Fertiliser Manufacturers of Pakistan Advisory Council (FMPAC) Executive Director, retired Brig Shershah Malik, confirmed that fertiliser shipments through flood-affected corridors, particularly near the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers, have been suspended.
He cautioned that if floodwaters continue to advance — especially as they are expected to reach Multan and enter Sindh by September 6 — fertiliser distribution and timely application could be seriously compromised. For now, however, supplies routed via motorways and highways remain intact.
Vegetables and oil supplies under watch
At the New Subzi Mandi in Lahore, Haji Shahjehan, President of the Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market, reported a decline in onion consignments from Balochistan as well as reduced potato stocks coming out of cold storage, attributing the shortfall to rains and flooding.
Meanwhile, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) Secretary General, Syed Nazir Abbas Zaidi, confirmed that oil supplies to upcountry regions have thus far remained unaffected, though the situation continues to be closely monitored.
