Cost of protest

The so-called Azadi March led by JUI-F Leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman has disrupted the political scenario of the country. The protesters are ready to accept no less than the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The staged sit-in has started to pose a negative impact on the already-fragile economy of the country. The sit-in has resulted in the closure of business activities in the capital city. The government has been trying its level best to keep the traders away from joining the sit-in. There are a lot of containers placed to block the routes of protesters. The containers have been hired by the government at a certain cost and are now required by the owners for shipments.

The protest has also been disrupting the image of the country as far as law and order situation is concerned. Whenever political turmoil occurs in a country, it carries a certain cost. For a country which has been struggling in inviting foreign investors and has been trying to portray a good image with respect to its internal security, such protests against the government can have serious repercussions. They result in the closure of economic activities and a large amount of spending on security maintenance; therefore, inflation becomes inevitable as a result. The transport sector always faces huge revenue loss whenever an area is blocked. Furthermore, besides economic losses, these protests pose the threat of harm to human lives. The overall security condition of the country gets disturbed. Other elements also get a chance to carry on with their activities as a good portion of the security machinery is consumed for the protest. Pakistan has been going through an extremely critical phase. Therefore, it is requested that the political forces and the institutions of the country resolve the matter on a priority basis.

Tariq Faruqi

Karachi