Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb revealed on Sunday that Pakistan’s economy is suffering a massive daily loss of Rs190 billion due to road closures and shutdowns caused by opposition protests.
Aurangzeb made these remarks as PTI caravans headed toward Islamabad for a “do or die” protest at D-Chowk, following a call from party founder Imran Khan. The opposition party is protesting against the “illegal” detention of Khan and other leaders, the “stolen mandate” in the February 8 general elections, and the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
In an interview with Geo News, Aurangzeb explained that the protests are leading to reduced tax collections, disrupted exports, and additional security costs to maintain peace. He noted that the IT and tech sectors are also suffering losses.
The Ministry of Finance has compiled a report detailing the economic toll of the protests. According to the report, Pakistan’s GDP is losing an estimated Rs144 billion every day. Additionally, the strikes are causing a daily export loss of Rs26 billion and affecting foreign direct investment by Rs3 billion daily.
Aurangzeb further revealed that the provinces are facing separate losses, with the agricultural sector alone losing Rs26 billion per day. The industrial sector in the provinces is also experiencing losses exceeding Rs20 billion daily.
