Pakistan’s struggling economy has taken a significant hit, with protests by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI ) party incurring costs exceeding PKR 2 billion, Geo News reported.
Official information reveals that over the previous 18 months, managing PTI’s demonstrations and sit-ins has drained PKR 2.7 billion from government coffers, with PKR 1.2 billion spent in just the past six months according to intensified rallies across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Islamabad.
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The economic burden includes damages to public and private property totaling PKR 1.5 billion. Among the costs are Safe City devices for PKR 280 million vandalized in Islamabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. Furthermore, 220 police cars were destroyed during demonstrations, compounding the financial burden.
The wave of protests began on May 9 last year and continues unabated, with the most current “do-or-die” show held this Sunday. The occasion, which saw over 34, 000 surveillance officers deployed in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, added an estimated PKR 300 million to the combined costs.
To maintain law and order during these presentations, security forces incurred major expenses. Over 900 million dollars were spent on transportation, and 1.5 billion on food and logistics went on officers. The implementation of Frontier Corps (FC), Rangers, and military officers added PKR 300 million to the costs. In total, government rented 3, 000 tanks at a cost of PKR 800 million to command the demonstrations.
Four security officers were killed and over 220 were injured when PTI supporters and security forces clashed.
Despite serving more than a year in jail and facing more than 150 legal charges, Imran Khan, the imprisoned leader of PTI, continues to play a significant role in the protests. PTI claims these situations are politically motivated.
According to an AP report, Muslim police detained a number of Imran Khan supporters, blocked main roads and highways in the city, and blocked major roads and highways in Islamabad, according to a report from the AP. The government also suspended cellular and internet access in areas that were perceived as safety hazards, thereby aggravated the disruptions.
