KARACHI: Movement of essential goods, industrial products, edible items, vegetables and fruits between Punjab and Karachi has come to a halt for the last two to three days following blocking of roads by the government in a move to handle the protest plans of PTI and PAT on Independence Day.

Industrialists in Punjab are concerned over detention of their containers loaded with goods, both for export and also local supplies to various cities.

The business community and fruit and vegetable exporters are worried over the deteriorating supply situation as they are facing problems in getting transporters to lift the cargo. Exporters also find it difficult to meet deadlines of shipments to foreign destinations.

Site Association of Industry’s Chairman Yunus Bashir said exporters of up-country, mainly in Punjab, are in stress as their supplies to Karachi for export have been blocked for a few days. Zubair Motiwalla, former chairman of the association, said the arrival of raw material for local industries of Karachi from Punjab and goods movement from Karachi to Punjab have also stopped.

However, exports by industries located in Karachi industrial areas through ports have been normal so far. Many industrial units, which regularly send their products to upcountry, have curtailed their production by 25-30 per cent due to no movement of goods, they said.

Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) chairman Farukh Mazhar said exports from industries located in Korangi area was normal so far but industrialists dependent on their supplies to Punjab are facing problems.

Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) Chairman Anis Majeed said the supply chain of goods is dysfunctional.

He added that shipment of imported pulses from Karachi’s Jodia Bazar to Punjab has been suspended while there was no arrival of locally produced rice and pulses from Punjab.

Sugar’s wholesale price, he said, has inched up by Re1 per kg to Rs54.50 but it has nothing to do with the problem of free flow of goods between Karachi and Punjab.

He said that so far the impact has not been felt on price of essentials in the wholesale market but a prolonged suspension will eventually start reflecting in price levels.

“In case, supplies remain disrupted for another two to three days, Karachi’s wholesale market will feel the pinch,” Majeed said.

Waheed Ahmed, co-chairman of All Pakistan Fruits and Vegetables Exporters, Impor­ters and Merchants Association, said that supply of fruits, especially mango, from Punjab has plunged in the last two days by 60-70pc in the wholesale market at Super Highway.

Supply of fruits and vegetables destined for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab from Sindh has also been disrupted, he said.

He said growers of mango in Sindh have stocks piling up at orchards due to unavailability of transport.

Even trucks which had left for Karachi from mango growing areas of Punjab are stuck up on the way.

He added that vegetable and fruit exports being carried out by air from Lahore to the Middle East were also affected due to disruption in goods movement and blockade of main roads in Punjab areas.

Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetables Market President Haji Shahjehan said arrival of locally produced potato lying in cold storages of Punjab and shipments of Chinese potato from port to Punjab have been halted in the last two days.

He said mango arrivals from Punjab producing areas and some other fruits have been paralysed. Onion and tomato from Balochistan crop are not finding way into Punjab. Besides, movement of imported ginger and garlic from Karachi to Punjab has also stopped.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2014