Goods transporters rue seizure of trucks by government

Goods transporters rue seizure of trucks by administration.

Key points

• Syed Irfan Raza Published September 21, 2026 Updated September 21, 2026 08: 03am.
• All Pakistan Good Transport Owners Association President Imdad Hussain Naqvi remarked they were the government's "least priority" despite serving "more than 30 million people every day".
• All Pakistan Friends Traders and Trucks/Dumpers Owners Association President Muhammad Rafiq Khan accused weighing stations of overloading trucks in return for heavy bribes.
• There is a proper licensing mechanism for HTVs under the NHMP Drivers Licensing Authority Rules 2014 that specifically prescribe the procedure and eligibility requirements.
• The long march will be staged on Sept 27, but our vehicles and containers were confiscated more than two weeks ago, he rued.

Syed Irfan Raza Published September 21, 2026 Updated September 21, 2026 08: 03am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Claim sector forms backbone of economy, yet not prioritised by govt; allege HTV licences not being given.

Police say regulations for HTV licences in place, 7m violations committed by goods vehicles this year.

ISLAMABAD: As their vehicles are once again being applied to stop protesters from reaching Islamabad, truckers have stated the administration move has not only "paralysed" the economy but additionally adds to a litany of their existing grievances.

Meanwhile, an estimated 400, 000 goods vehicles, excluding oil tankers and mini trucks, form the backbone of the logistics network that caters to all major industries and employs millions of individuals through direct and indirect jobs, they stated, adding that despite being a key sector of the economy, they were unfairly treated by the administration.

They alleged "unfair taxes", "routine seizure of trucks and containers", "poor road network", "excesses by the police and regional transport authorities", and problems surrounding the HTV licences. The motorway and traffic police denied most of their allegations, including the absence of a proper licensing regime, in separate versions shared with Dawn.

According to It may be, goods transporters routinely go on strike to press the administration for their demands, most lately in August over daily fuel costs and axle-load limits, among other problems. Their ability to disrupt the entire supply chain often results in the acceptance of their demands, but these remain stopgap measures.

All Pakistan Good Transport Owners Association President Imdad Hussain Naqvi remarked they were the government's "least priority" despite serving "more than 30 million people every day". He remarked their trucks and containers had been seized two weeks before the Sept 27 long march.

"This practice has paralysed the country's economy. The long march will be staged on Sept 27, but our vehicles and containers were confiscated more than two weeks ago, " he rued.

Accompanied by the office-bearers of other associations, Mr Naqvi remarked that instead of the Ministry of Communications, there must be a separate ministry for transportation. According to He additionally, unless they were given the status of a full-fledged industry, their challenges would persist.

Mr Naqvi complained that 90 per cent of the truck drivers had LTV driving licences due to an "overly complicated process of converting LTV into HTV licence", a claim denied by the traffic police.

He additionally talked concerning the condition of roads nationwide, "excessive" taxes and fines, alleged bribes by the regional transport authorities (RTA), and delays in the issuance of provincial route permits.

All Pakistan Friends Traders and Trucks/Dumpers Owners Association President Muhammad Rafiq Khan accused weighing stations of overloading trucks in return for heavy bribes. He asserted their letters to the communications ministry remained unanswered. Transport Alliance Chairman Malik Shafaullah Awan remarked a truck paid Rs35, 000 in terms of toll tax from Karachi to Lahore on N-5 (GT Road), besides the petroleum levy on diesel.

Meanwhile, a motorway police spokesperson denied most of the allegations and remarked the police continued to undertake sustained and effective enforcement measures against Goods Transport Vehicles (GTVs) to ensure compliance with traffic laws and promote road safety.

Since January 2026, during the enforcement process, over 7 million traffic violations committed by goods vehicles have been identified, checked and dealt with as per law, the spokesperson remarked, adding that approximately 692, 225 violations related to axle load have been identified and dealt with as per law.

Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority, nevertheless, acknowledged the dilapidated state of roads due to the paucity of funds.

"We have 14, 480 kilometres of roads across Pakistan and the total income NHA fetched through toll was Rs128bn last year; besides, we only get Rs9bn from the government for road maintenance, " NHA General Manager Aftab Badar continued.

Meanwhile, the official remarked the NHA has to spend its funds on those roads too where it did not secure income. "Our 42 per cent of funds are utilised in Balochistan but we received very minimal toll tax from there, " he continued.

NHA GM (revenue) Ahmed Hassan remarked NHA denied that any NHA toll plazas were running on an interim basis and went on that out of 183 toll plazas, 63 were under the control of Frontier Works Organisation, and 120 were supervised by the NHA. Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2026.

For now, goods transporters rue seizure of trucks by government remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.