The PTI’s long march is still in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, moving slowly and with no confirmed date for reaching Islamabad. The cost to business did not wait for it to arrive. Transporters say thousands of vehicles were taken off the road in September as authorities prepared to block the capital, and the stock market has swung with each turn in the talks.
The short version
- Two rounds of government–PTI talks failed, and the march began on 4 October from Lakki Marwat.
- The PTI is demanding Imran Khan’s release and medical access for him. Rana Sanaullah of the ruling PML-N has said the march will not enter Islamabad.
- Transporters say police requisitioned more than 2,000 vehicles in September, and carriers report demurrage of Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 per container per day.
- The KSE-100 fell 2,288 points on 5 October, the first trading day after the talks collapsed.
What happened
The march was first called for 27 September and postponed to 4 October to allow talks. Those talks ended in deadlock. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi blamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for their failure. Afridi is leading the march.
Since then the convoy has moved through Karak, Kohat and Khyber district. Afridi has described the campaign as a “Test match” rather than a quick confrontation. The party had said the next phase would be announced at Khairabad on 8 October, but it later changed the plan, and a PTI leader said the final destination was still tentative.
Authorities have lined the main routes into Islamabad with shipping containers, citing a 14 September Islamabad High Court order that bars parties from occupying public roads in the capital.
Why it matters
The cost so far has fallen mainly on freight. According to transporters quoted by Reuters and ProPakistani, police began stopping vehicles around 5 September and requisitioned more than 2,000 during the month, many still loaded with cargo. Drivers reported stopping before Gujranwala rather than risk seizure on routes to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Peshawar and Attock.
The All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association said its members had sharply reduced dispatches to Upper Punjab and Islamabad. An official said seized loaded containers would be returned with compensation and that major highways were open.
This comes when transport costs are already high. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported consumer inflation of 10.26% year on year in September, with the transport index up 27.43%.
The knock-on effects
First order: freight delays and charges
Containers held inland miss their return dates and run up demurrage. Truck owners lose earning days and still have to pay drivers and maintain vehicles.
Second order: supply to the north
Importers and distributors serving Islamabad, Rawalpindi and northern Punjab face slower deliveries and higher landed costs. Some of that cost can reach shelf prices.
Third order: investor confidence
Political risk is now competing with oil prices as a driver of the stock market. Analysts at Topline linked the 5 October fall to the start of the march after the talks failed.
Who could benefit
- Firms with warehouses and stock already in the north, which can supply customers while deliveries are delayed.
Who may face pressure
- Transporters and logistics companies, through seized vehicles and lost trips.
- Importers with cargo in transit, through demurrage.
- Retailers and distributors in the twin cities, if closures extend.
What to watch
- Whether the march heads for Islamabad, and on what date.
- Road closures around Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including on cricket match days.
- Any compensation for transporters, or a protest by transporters themselves, which some have threatened.
- PSX moves on days when talks restart or break down.
Sources
- Al Jazeera, Pro-Imran Khan mass rally launched after Pakistan government talks fail, 4 October 2026
- Dawn, Will not allow military operations, KP CM tells march participants in Khyber, 7 October 2026
- The Nation, PTI long march will not enter Islamabad: Rana Sanaullah, 4 October 2026
- Arab News (Reuters), Cargo piles up as Pakistan seizes containers to block capital routes, 3 October 2026
- Arab News, Pakistan truckers report continued seizures, reduced deliveries, 1 October 2026
- Business Recorder, KSE-100 settles nearly 2,300 points lower on political uncertainty, higher oil prices, 5 October 2026
This is analysis, not investment advice. Knock-On is not affiliated with any political party. Figures are as of 9 October 2026.
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