Protests adversely hit businesses

ISLAMABAD: The protests called by PTI founder Imran Khan at D-Chowk on Friday paralysed the twin cities’s life as Rawalpindi and Islamabad were sealed with containers.

All the commercial and industrial centres of twin cities remained closed, causing an estimated loss of Rs10 billion to business community. The retail outlets in Rawalpindi city and Cantonment area, and shops on Murree Road also remained shut.

In Islamabad, labour could not reach I-9 Industrial Area, Kahota Triangle Industrial Area and Rawat Industrial Area, where production stopped due to closure. There was no way for patients and doctors to go to hospitals.

Zahid Bakhtawari, Chairman Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association and President Central Organisation of Registered Traders Rawalpindi Division, told “Jang” hospitals could not be supplied with medicines. He said due to protests, business community is losing billions of rupees daily.

The government also suffers because it gets no revenue from Sales Tax and use of electricity due to shutdown. The protests damage the image of the country at the international level.

The closure of business places further economic pressure on the business community, which is already on the ventilator.

On Friday, government and private offices in Rawalpindi-Islamabad were virtually closed. No work was possible as the staff failed to reach Pak Secretariat and other offices located on Shahrah Dastur.

The passengers missed their flights because they could not reach airport due to closure of roads.

In Rawalpindi, the passengers failed to catch their trains. Wagon and bus depots remained deserted.

According to a survey, some 600 containers or trucks etc. were used to seal Rawalpindi-Islamabad. Rs3,500 is being paid per day for a truck or container used to seal the roads. The daily cost comes at Rs2.1 million. Millions of rupees are being paid to additional police personnel for Rawalpindi-Islamabad under TADA.

Millions of students could not attend schools, colleges and universities, as residents of the twin cities remained confined to their homes.