FM Warns Rs120bn Daily Loss from Planned PTI Protests

News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb warned on Sunday that upcoming political protests and sit-ins will inflict an estimated daily loss of Rs120 billion on the national economy, denouncing the agitation as “self-inflicted pain.”
The warning, delivered via a televised recorded message, comes ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) planned protest march to the federal capital scheduled for September 27.
Aurangzeb emphasized that the compounding economic repercussions of these demonstrations must be viewed against the backdrop of severe regional hardships, particularly the ongoing economic instability resulting from the Middle East conflict.
The PTI has announced its nationwide mobilization to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan and advocate for the supremacy of the Constitution, culminating in a march toward Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami has also initiated its own march toward the capital to pressure the government into abolishing the heavy fuel levy.
The federal administration has maintained a strict stance, vowing to halt the impending marches to maintain public order and safeguard critical economic supply chains. Business and industrial leaders have repeatedly cautioned that recurring political instability directly undermines investor confidence, disrupts daily commerce, and derails the fragile macroeconomic recovery currently being monitored under international lending programs.
As security arrangements tighten across major urban centers, federal authorities are expected to review intelligence reports and deliberate on preemptive administrative measures ahead of the protest dates.
The government continues to urge political leadership to prioritize national economic stability and resolve grievances through parliamentary and legal channels rather than disruptive street agitation.