Courier Delay in Islamabad and Rawalpindi: What Road Closures Mean for Your COD Orders This Week

Why parcels to the twin cities are getting stuck

If your customers in Islamabad and Rawalpindi are asking where their parcel is, the courier delay is not only your courier's fault. For weeks, the roads into the capital have been lined with shipping containers ahead of a protest march by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanding the release of former prime minister Imran Khan. The march was first planned for September 27 and was moved to October 4.

Transport associations told Arab News on October 1 that about 2,000 freight vehicles had been impounded in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and nearby districts since early September, some of them still loaded with cargo. Because of the fear of more seizures, transporters said dispatches toward Upper Punjab and Islamabad had been significantly reduced. A senior government official told the same paper that major motorways and highways were open and there was no supply issue, and promised compensation for vehicle owners.

Reuters reported on October 2 that freight disruptions were being reported on routes to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock and Peshawar, and that some operators had stopped sending vehicles beyond Gujranwala. In Karachi, containers were piling up at the port because truckers were refusing to drive north. The Karachi Goods Carrier association said demurrage on a delayed container can reach Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per day.

On September 28, the Express Tribune reported that the Attock Bridge and motorway had reopened for four days after the march was postponed, but that goods transport remained suspended in the twin cities because of road closures, and that Faizabad, a business hub of Rawalpindi, was deserted.

What happens next: the dates sellers should know

According to the Express Tribune, PTI's long march was to set off on October 4 from Lakki Marwat under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, with a stop in Karak, then Kohat on October 5 and Peshawar on October 6. That means the march itself moves slowly toward the capital over several days. The Nation reported on October 2 that the federal government and the PPP were heading into talks with PTI before the march.

We do not know how long the closures will last, and this post takes no side in the politics. For a seller the practical point is simple: until the roads into Islamabad and Rawalpindi fully reopen, treat every order to the twin cities, Attock, Jhelum and the Peshawar corridor as a slow order, and assume the delay can last more than a week.

The second squeeze: fuel prices now change every day

Since July 17, 2026, the government has revised petrol and diesel prices daily instead of weekly, according to the Express Tribune, because of volatility in global oil markets. On October 1 petrol was cut by 14 paisa to Rs 387.40 a litre, and for October 2 it was raised by Rs 3.26 to Rs 390.66 a litre, while diesel went down by Rs 1.01 to Rs 399.34.

Trucks and courier line-haul run on diesel, while most riders on motorbikes use petrol. When fuel moves every day, couriers find it harder to hold their rates, so watch your courier's notices for fuel surcharges. Reuters also reported that consumer prices rose 10.26% year-on-year in September and the transport price index climbed 27.43%. Your customer is paying more for almost everything, which makes an unplanned COD purchase easier to refuse at the door.

Worked example: what a slow week costs a COD store

Example only, with made-up but realistic numbers. A store sends 100 COD orders a week to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Average order is Rs 3,000, product cost Rs 1,200, forward shipping Rs 250, return shipping Rs 250 and ad cost Rs 400 per order. A returned product comes back and can be sold again.

• Profit on a delivered order: 3,000 minus 1,200 minus 250 minus 400 = Rs 1,150.
• Loss on a returned order: 250 forward plus 250 return plus 400 ads = Rs 900.
• Normal week at 20% returns: 80 x 1,150 minus 20 x 900 = Rs 74,000.
• Blocked-roads week at 35% returns: 65 x 1,150 minus 35 x 900 = Rs 43,250.
• Same week if you confirm orders and hold them until roads open, bringing returns to 25%: 75 x 1,150 minus 25 x 900 = Rs 63,750.

In this example, a slow week wipes out Rs 30,750, about 42% of the weekly profit, without a single extra order lost to a competitor. Most of that loss comes from parcels that sit in a hub for days while the buyer changes their mind. Confirming and holding recovers about Rs 20,500 of it. Plug in your own numbers: the point is that every extra return costs you the delivered profit plus the return loss.

What to do this week

1. Split your orders by city today. Pull every unfulfilled order going to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Peshawar into its own list so you can treat them differently.
2. Call or WhatsApp those customers before you book. Tell them plainly that roads into the twin cities are closed and delivery may take extra days, then ask if they still want the order. A buyer who says yes after hearing about the delay is far more likely to accept the parcel.
3. Hold, do not ship blind. For customers who agree to wait, keep the parcel with you and book it when your courier confirms normal movement. A parcel in your storeroom costs nothing; a parcel stuck in a hub costs two-way shipping.
4. Check your courier's service advisories daily. Ask your account manager which areas are on hold and whether bookings to the twin cities are being accepted, and note any fuel surcharge.
5. Cut or exclude ad spend for the affected cities. In Meta and TikTok ads, exclude Islamabad, Rawalpindi and nearby areas for a few days, or lower the budget, so you are not paying to create orders you cannot deliver on time.
6. Offer an advance payment option to twin-city buyers. A buyer who pays by bank transfer or wallet before dispatch is not going to refuse at the door, even if the parcel is late.
7. Watch return rates by city, not just overall. After the closures end, compare twin-city returns with Lahore and Karachi to see the real cost of this week.
8. Keep stock and cash in mind. If your supplier ships from Karachi to the north, or your imported stock is sitting at the port, expect your own restock to be late too.

If you run a Shopify store, RabbitROI can show your return (RTO) rates by courier, city and product, and net profit per ad campaign after returns, so you can see exactly how much the twin-city orders are costing you this month.

How to message a customer about the delay

Keep it short, honest and in the language your customer uses. Something like this works on WhatsApp:

Assalam o Alaikum, your order of Rs 3,000 is ready. Roads into Islamabad and Rawalpindi are closed right now, so delivery may take a few extra days. Should we send it as soon as roads open, or would you like to cancel? Reply 1 to wait, 2 to cancel.

Do not promise a delivery date you cannot control, and do not blame anyone in the message. Customers remember who kept them informed.

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