Protests, sit-ins could cause Rs120bn daily loss: Aurangzeb

Protests, sit-ins could cause Rs120 billion in daily economic losses as Pakistan moves from economic stabilisation towards growth, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said. Speaking to the media, Aurangzeb said the country had made progress on several key economic indicators. He noted that foreign exchange reserves had reached their highest level in Pakistan's history, while the country was recording a current account surplus and continued remittance growth. Aurangzeb said Pakistan was now moving from economic stability towards broader economic growth. However, he warned that developments in the Middle East were creating major challenges for global trade. Rising freight and insurance costs, along with supply chain disruptions, were putting additional pressure on international commerce. Read more : Marriyum Aurangzeb defends Maryam amid KP row The finance minister said calls for marches, sit-ins and strikes could disrupt economic activity during the recovery period. He estimated that such disruptions could cost the national economy around Rs120 billion each day. Moreover, he warned that prolonged interruptions could affect Pakistan's growth trajectory and weaken business activity. According to Aurangzeb, the services sector could suffer losses of around Rs86 billion per day because of economic disruptions. He estimated another Rs25 billion in daily losses for the industrial sector. In addition, the government could lose approximately Rs17 billion in revenue each day if disruptions continue. Read more : Global investors regain confidence in Pakistan: Aurangzeb Aurangzeb linked the potential losses to interruptions in normal commercial and economic activity across the country. He said businesses, industries and government revenue could all face pressure when protests and strikes restrict movement and operations. Meanwhile, global trade already faces uncertainty because of higher transportation and insurance costs. The finance minister described such disruption as 'self-inflicted economic pain' for Pakistan. He urged attention to the potential economic impact as the country seeks to maintain recent gains and move towards sustained growth. His comments came as Pakistan faces both domestic economic pressures and challenges affecting international trade.