Finance Minister Warns of Rs120bn Daily Loss
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb warned that protests and sit‑ins could cost Pakistan’s economy about Rs120 billion per day, according to research cited in a televised message.
The estimate breaks down to a Rs86 billion hit to the services sector, Rs25 billion to industry, Rs9 billion to agriculture and an additional Rs17 billion revenue loss.
Aurangzeb linked the losses to supply chain disruptions, higher freight and insurance costs from Middle East tensions, and recent terrorist attacks, noting that the economy is already under strain.
The warning comes ahead of a PTI‑planned protest march to Islamabad on Sept 27 and a simultaneous JI march, both aimed at demanding the release of Imran Khan and the removal of the fuel levy. The Islamabad High Court dismissed a petition against the PTI protest, and the Interior Ministry said it would prevent any march toward the capital.
He urged that the economic burden would ultimately fall on ordinary citizens and called for dialogue to resolve the issues, stressing that the country’s macro‑stability has been hard‑earned.
