Finance Minister Reveals Daily Cost of Protests in Pakistan

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said political protests and sit-ins can cost Pakistan Rs. 120 billion every day. In a recorded message on Sunday, Aurangzeb said the services sector would face the largest impact from prolonged protests, with an estimated daily loss of Rs. 86 billion. The industrial sector could lose around Rs. 25 billion per day and agriculture another Rs. 9 billion, taking the estimated impact to Rs. 120 billion daily. ALSO READ Islamabad Suddenly Looks Like a Global Shipping Giant Aurangzeb also estimated that the government could lose another Rs. 17 billion in revenue if the protests proceed. He said previous protests had also created additional costs for the national treasury through logistics, transportation, fuel and security deployments. The finance minister pointed to the importance of maintaining economic activity as Pakistan targets export-led growth. He also mentioned the vulnerability of the IT sector to disruptions. He said IT exports reached $811 million in July and August, averaging around $13 million per day, while previous internet disruptions had affected IT exports by as much as 80 percent. The minister recalled that Pakistan took around one and a half months to recover from the economic impact of the December 2025 strike. He urged political stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.