Islamabad, September 20, 2026: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said protests and sit-ins could cause an estimated economic loss of around Rs120 billion per day, citing research conducted by the Planning Commission.
The warning comes as the PTI prepares for a nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad on September 27, while the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has launched its own march to the federal capital to press for withdrawal of the petroleum levy.
In a recorded televised message on Sunday, Aurangzeb said protests and sit-ins would amount to “self-inflicted pain” for the economy at a time when Pakistan was already facing economic pressures stemming from tensions in the Middle East.
He said disruptions to supply chains, along with higher freight and insurance costs, were already affecting economic activity. Referring to the recent bombing in Kohat, he also pointed to the security challenges facing the country.
The finance minister said the Planning Commission’s economic wing had held consultations to assess the potential impact of protests and sit-ins, taking into account previous instances and the prevailing economic situation.
According to the assessment cited by Aurangzeb, the proposed protests could result in a daily loss of Rs120bn. The services sector is expected to bear the largest share of the impact, with an estimated loss of Rs86bn, covering financial services, communications, retail, transportation, wholesale and hospitality.
The industrial sector could suffer losses of around Rs25bn, including impacts on construction, finished goods, raw materials and supply chains, while agriculture could face an estimated loss of Rs9bn.
Aurangzeb said the government could also face an additional revenue loss of around Rs17bn if the protests proceeded.
He added that protests and sit-ins also impose substantial costs on the national treasury through the deployment of security personnel and expenditure on logistics, transport and fuel.
Aurangzeb said Pakistan was seeking to strengthen export-led growth, with an export target of $35.9 billion for the current fiscal year and an expected six per cent increase.
He recalled economic disruptions caused by previous protests, saying it had taken around one and a half months to recover from the losses associated with a strike in December 2025.
He also expressed concern over the potential impact of disruptions on the IT sector.
According to the minister, IT exports stood at $811 million during July and August, with daily exports averaging around $13m. He said previous internet connectivity disruptions had affected IT exports by 80 per cent.
Aurangzeb urged political stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue, saying the economic burden of prolonged protests would ultimately be borne by ordinary citizens, labourers, small traders and daily-wage workers.
“I am requesting you that this is very hard-earned macro stability and now [it is] moving towards growth,” he said, stressing that difficult economic decisions had helped put the economy on a growth trajectory.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, speaking at a press conference later on Sunday, said the government’s response to the PTI protest involved both administrative and legal considerations.
Referring to a recent Islamabad High Court ruling, Tarar said the court had ruled against road closures and disruption of traffic and that it was now the administration’s responsibility to ensure that roads remained open.
He said the government would not allow what he described as a violent group to reach Islamabad, adding that the administration, police, interior ministry and government were clear on the matter.
Meanwhile, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Mohammad Usman and police chief Sohail Chaudhry reviewed security arrangements at major entry and exit points and other important locations, according to APP.
Hundreds of shipping containers have been placed at various entry points of the capital as authorities prepare for the planned protests.
During the inspection, the chief commissioner said maintaining law and order was a priority while citizens, traders, businesses, professionals and government employees should be able to conduct their lawful activities without unnecessary disruption.
Islamabad police also said officers deployed in the Security Division had been given special briefings on emergency response and security arrangements.
The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital have separately been placed on high alert in anticipation of possible emergencies during the protests.
A PIMS notification directed staff to remain vigilant and readily available to respond to emergency calls. Ambulances are to remain available around the clock during the high-alert period, which extends until September 30.
Emergency, intensive care, operation theatre, trauma, nursing, diagnostic, blood bank, pharmacy and other critical services have been directed to remain fully operational with adequate backup arrangements.
The hospital administration has also ordered preparations for any potential mass-casualty situation and directed that emergency and ambulance routes remain clear.
The PTI has announced a nationwide protest on September 27, with the party demanding the release of its founder Imran Khan and calling for what it describes as the supremacy of the Constitution.
The Islamabad High Court, in an order dated September 14, held that no political party or leader has a lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas or buildings in Islamabad, and said no political party or leader could obstruct the free movement of citizens.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi subsequently warned that the government would stop anyone attempting to march towards Islamabad “in every possible way”.
Meanwhile, the Jamaat-i-Islami has begun its march towards Islamabad to demand the abolition of the petroleum levy.
JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said at a rally on Sunday that failure to abolish the levy could lead to the protest taking the form of a campaign to remove the government.
The government currently levies Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. JI has been holding sit-ins in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and other locations since August 16 against the petroleum levy.
