ISLAMABAD: Businesses in Pakistan’s twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi incurred more than Rs6 billion ($21.6 million) losses due to protests by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party over the weekend, traders said on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Khan supporters set out for Islamabad from various parts of the country on Friday to take part in a protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk square. Clashes erupted as police tried to prevent the protesters from entering the Pakistani capital, resulting in the killing of one policeman.
Dozens were injured on both sides as police used tear gas to disperse Khan supporters. The twin cities remained heavily barricaded as authorities suspended mobile phone services, with retail, wholesale and distribution business as well as industry remaining shut for two days.
“The cumulative losses to businesses and traders in Islamabad and Rawalpindi run over 6 billion rupees due to closure of roads and blockade of mobile and Internet services,” Fahad Barlas, vice president of the Rawalpindi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News.
“Apart from the financial losses, we suffer a reputational loss in terms of dealing with our foreign clients, booking the orders, and such protests take us months to restore all that.”
The PTI called simultaneous protests in all districts across the most populous Punjab province to protest the government’s proposed constitutional amendments that it claims are aimed at curtailing the independence of the judiciary, a charge denied by the government. The party also aimed to mobilize supporters through these public gatherings to pressure the government for the release of Khan, who has been in prison since August last year on a slew of charges.
Additionally, the federal and provincial governments spent a substantial amount on security, placement of shipping containers and barriers to block roads, food for law enforcement personnel and tear gas.
Arab News reached out to the Pakistani interior ministry and the Punjab home department, but did not get a response to its questions, seeking details of the expenses on security arrangements for the protests and any losses to the public property.
Nasir Qureshi, president of the Islamabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the recent closure of roads and Internet services due to the protests had disrupted entire supply chains, which could take weeks to recover.
“Traders could not go to the banks to get their LCs [letters of credit] opened, the IT sector and all other businesses were hit by the roads and Internet closures,” he said, suggesting that the government should allow protests at a designated place in the federal capital to avoid disruptions to businesses and public life.
“The government suffers losses in taxation when the businesses are closed while individual traders, daily wagers, contractors and consumers have to face financial losses.”