Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb warned on Sunday that protests and sit-ins would result in a daily loss of around Rs120 billion, citing research findings.
His warning in a televised recorded message came ahead of the PTI planned protest march to Islamabad on Sept 27, which the government has vowed to stop.
The PTI has announced a nationwide protest on Sept 27 to demand release of party founder Imran Khan and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution, with the plan to march towards Islamabad.
The Jamaat-i-Islami also launched its march towards Islamabad today in a bid to press the government to end the fuel levy.
In his message, Aurangzeb said the protests and sit-ins, when seen against the backdrop of the economic hardships resulting from the Middle East conflict, would be a “self-inflicted pain”.
The finance czar said that supply chain disruptions and increased freight and insurance costs were arising from Middle East tensions. He also recalled the recent Kohat bombing, noting a fresh wave of terrorism in the country.
Within this context, he said, “In the past few days, along with the economic wing of our planning commission, we have held consultations on the results of protests and sit-ins on the economic progress we have sustained through difficult decisions”.
Taking previous instances and the present situation into account, he said the planning commission had estimated that the proposed protests will cause “a loss of Rs120bn daily, and this is based on very good research”.
He noted that the services sector — including financial services, communication, retail, transportation, wholesale and hospitality — was estimated to take the biggest hit, with a loss of Rs86bn.
In the industrial sector, the loss was estimated to be Rs25bn, the finance minister said, adding, “This includes construction, finished goods, raw material and supply chain”.
Meanwhile, the agriculture sector will suffer a loss of Rs9bn, he said.
Aurangzeb estimated an additional Rs17bn revenue loss if the proposed protests were to go ahead.
He also noted the “burden of a high cost on the national treasury” within the context of logistics, transport, fuel, and security deployment used in response to the previous protests and sit-ins.
Aurganzeb noted that an emphasis was often placed on promoting export-led growth, noting that the target for the current fiscal year stood at $35.9bn “and there is a six per cent increase expected”.
“We have been on trajectory for the first two months,” he said.
Within this context, the finance minister recalled a strike in December 2025 and said, “It took us 1.5 months to recover” from the resulting economic losses.
He recalled a similar instance in August, noting that “such disruptions could severely harm our growth trajectory, and this is on top of the situation in the Middle East in Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb”.
Aurangzeb also spoke of the economic impact on Information Technology (IT) exports resulting from civil disobedience.
“In July and August, our IT exports have been $811 million, with $13m daily,” he said. Aurangezeb expressed concern that internet connectivity issues from acts of civil disobedience previously “impacted IT exports by 80pc”.
“So, as you can see, aside from goods and services, this will be a big setback if we go towards these long marches and sit-ins,” he said.
The finance minister urged that it be taken into account that the resulting “economic burden” would ultimately be borne by the common man, labourers, small traders, and daily wagers.
“I am requesting you that this is very hard-earned macro stability and now [it is] moving towards growth; many difficult decisions were made, and our economy, after a long time, is on track.”
Aurangzeb urged that outstanding issues be resolved with dialogue, stressing that it was his responsibility as finance minister to present “ to everyone the facts, figures and possible downside” of the “self-inflicted pain”.
PTI, JI protests
The finance minister’s appeal for dialogue comes amid proposed protests announced by political parties — PTI and JI — in the coming days.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was moved earlier this month against the PTI protest, on the grounds that the protest could disrupt routine life, traffic and business activities in the federal capital. However, the IHC disposed of the plea on Sept 14 and held that no political party or its leadership had the “lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad”.
No political party or political leader had the right to obstruct the free movement of citizens, the Sept 14 court order read.
On Friday, following the IHC judgement, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also said that the government would stop anyone from marching towards the federal capital “in every possible way”.
The administrations of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad had already begun preparations last week to counter the PTI’s announced march to the capital, including a request for the detention of activists, arranging containers, seeking additional personnel and procuring anti-riot gear.
Meanwhile, JI launched its protest march towards Islamabad today.
Party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, speaking at a rally earlier today, warned that if the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy, the JI’s protest could turn into one to oust the government.
The government levies Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. JI has been staging regular sit-ins in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and dozens of other locations across the country since August 16 to protest the levy.
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