• Tarar says IHC ruling bars disruption of public movement, road closures
• Protests may cost economy Rs120bn per day, Aurangzeb warns

ISLAMABAD: Information Min­ister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said the government would not allow any violent group to reach Islamabad or block roads, as ministers warned of the legal, economic and law-and-order consequences of upcoming protests by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami.

Speaking to the media, Mr Tarar said the planned protests had both legal and administrative aspects, stressing that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had clearly ruled against road closures and disruption to public movement.

He said it was now the responsibility of the administration to ens­ure that no such disruption took place. “No violent group will be all­owed to reach Islamabad,” he said.

“The administration, police, interior minister and entire government are absolutely clear” on the matter, he said, adding that protesters intending to cause disruption would not be allowed to reach the capital and roads would remain open.

Mr Tarar said the government remained in contact with JI at different levels, including its top leadership. He described the party’s leaders as peaceful and flexible but stressed that the law applied equally to everyone and roads could not be blocked.

The remarks come as PTI prepares for a nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad on Sept 27 to press for the release of its incarcerated founder Imran Khan, while JI has launched a protest campaign against the petroleum levy and plans to head towards the federal capital.

Rs120bn daily loss feared

Separately, Finance Minister Muha­mmad Aurangzeb warned that strikes, sit-ins, long marches and road closures could inflict an estimated Rs120 billion loss on the economy every day at a time when it was moving from stability towards growth.

In a recorded message, Mr Aurangzeb said economic indicators had been moving in a positive direction after difficult decisions and considerable effort.

“Suspension of economic activities due to strikes, sit-ins, long marches and closure of roads could be a self-inflicted loss,” he said, adding that the burden would ultimately be borne by ordinary people, small traders and shopkeepers.

Citing estimates prepared jointly by the Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance, he said the services sector — including financial services, communication, retail, transportation, wholesale and hospitality — could suffer the largest daily loss of around Rs86bn.

The industrial sector could lose around Rs25bn, including losses in construction, finished goods, raw materials and supply chains, while agriculture could suffer losses of Rs9bn. An additional revenue loss of about Rs17bn a day was also expected in case of disruption to economic activity.

Mr Aurangzeb said businesses and exporters were already facing pressures from disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, higher freight and insurance costs, while the country was also confronting a fresh wave of terrorism.

He warned that fresh political disruption could undermine the government’s export-led growth plans. The export target for the current fiscal year stood at $35.9bn, with growth of six per cent expected, he said.

“We have been on trajectory for the first two months,” he said, recalling that the economy had taken around one and a half months to recover from losses caused by a strike in December 2025.

He also pointed to the possible impact on IT exports, saying they stood at $811 million during July and August, averaging around $13m a day. He said internet connectivity disruptions during previous episodes of civil disobedience had affected IT exports by as much as 80pc.

The finance minister said it was his responsibility to present the facts, figures and possible downside of what he described as “self-inflicted pain” and called for dialogue to resolve outstanding and political issues.

Concern over PTI remarks

Meanwhile, Minister for Parli­amentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said recent statements by PTI leaders regarding their planned march towards Islamabad had raised concerns about possible violence.

Speaking to a private television channel, he referred to a reported statement by a senior PTI leader that the protesters were coming to make Islamabad “Somnath”.

Mr Chaudhry described the remark as a threat and said the government had a responsibility to protect the federal capital, maintain peace and ensure that normal life was not disrupted.

“Islamabad is the city of all Pakistanis, and no one will be allowed to deteriorate its law-and-order situation,” he said.

Asked about JI’s protests, Mr Chaudhry said the party had no history of protests turning violent or undermining law and order.

He said the government had held several rounds of talks with JI over the issue and expressed hope that the matter would be resolved through dialogue.

With additional input from APP

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2026