Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has warned that proposed protests, sit-ins, long marches and road closures could result in an estimated daily economic loss of around Rs120 billion. The estimate, which he attributed to consultations between the Finance Ministry and the economic wing of the Planning Commission, comes as Pakistan faces planned political demonstrations and marches towards Islamabad. Aurangzeb said the potential disruption should be considered alongside existing economic pressures, including supply chain interruptions, higher freight and insurance costs and broader uncertainty linked to tensions in the Middle East.
In a recorded message on September 20, the finance minister said previous instances of protests and disruptions had been examined alongside the country’s current economic conditions. According to the estimates he presented, the services sector could face the largest daily loss at approximately Rs86 billion. This category includes financial services, communications, retail, transportation, wholesale and hospitality. The industrial sector was estimated to face losses of around Rs25 billion, covering areas such as construction, finished goods, raw materials and supply chains, while agriculture was estimated to face a further Rs9 billion in losses.
Aurangzeb also estimated that government revenue could decline by an additional Rs17 billion if significant economic disruptions occur. He said the national treasury could face further costs associated with logistics, transportation, fuel and security deployments required during protests and sit-ins. The finance minister presented these figures as an assessment of the possible economic consequences of prolonged disruption rather than as a confirmed loss, since the actual impact would depend on the scale, duration and geographic spread of any protests.
The warning comes as Pakistan’s political parties have announced separate protest activities. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced a nationwide protest for September 27 and plans to mobilise supporters around demands including the release of its founder Imran Khan and what it describes as the supremacy of the Constitution. Jamaat-i-Islami has also been conducting protests against the petroleum levy and has launched a march towards Islamabad. These political developments have prompted the government to review administrative, security and traffic arrangements in and around the federal capital.
The finance minister also linked the potential economic impact to Pakistan’s export ambitions. He said the export target for the current fiscal year was $35.9 billion, with an expected increase of 6%, and stated that the country had remained on trajectory during the first two months. Aurangzeb recalled a strike in December 2025, saying it took around one and a half months for the economy to recover from the resulting losses. He also referred to disruption experienced in August and warned that additional interruptions could affect economic activity while businesses were already dealing with pressures involving shipping routes, freight expenses and insurance costs.
Information technology exports were another area highlighted by the finance minister. Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s IT exports stood at $811 million during July and August, which he put at approximately $13 million per day. He further stated that internet connectivity problems during previous episodes of civil disruption had affected IT exports by as much as 80%. The figures underline the potential exposure of digitally dependent businesses and export-oriented technology companies to disruptions affecting internet connectivity, mobility and normal commercial activity.
Aurangzeb said the potential economic burden would ultimately affect ordinary citizens, labourers, small traders and daily-wage workers. He called for outstanding issues to be addressed through dialogue and said his responsibility as finance minister was to present the available facts, figures and possible economic consequences of disruption. His comments come as the government continues to emphasise the need to protect the economic progress achieved following earlier fiscal and monetary challenges.
Separately, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the government was considering both administrative and legal aspects of the proposed demonstrations. Referring to a recent Islamabad High Court ruling, Tarar said the court had ruled against road closures and disruption to public movement and that it was the administration’s responsibility to maintain access. The government has said roads in the capital would remain open and that security and administrative authorities were preparing for the possible arrival of protesters.
Security preparations have also been stepped up in Islamabad. Police and administration officials reviewed arrangements at major entry and exit points and other key locations, while containers were placed at several city entry points. Islamabad authorities said maintaining law and order was a priority while ensuring that citizens, traders, businesses, professionals and government employees could continue their lawful activities. Police personnel were also briefed on emergency response and security duties.
The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital were placed on high alert ahead of the anticipated protest activity, according to notifications cited by Dawn. Pims instructed relevant departments to remain prepared, maintain emergency and critical medical services and ensure ambulance access. The arrangements are intended to provide additional capacity in case of an emergency or sudden increase in patient numbers during the period of heightened activity.
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