Country suffered loss of Rs140 million due to Faizabad protest

Apex court to resume today hearing of a suo motu case against blocking of roads in Islamabad

The country has faced a loss of around Rs140 million due to 21-day-long sit-in of a newly formed religious party at Islamabad’s Faizabad interchange in November last year, reveal reports submitted in the apex court by various ministries, bodies and department

The reports including those by the Interior Ministry and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) have been submitted before the Supreme Court ahead of hearing of a suo motu case on blockade of roads by protesters of Tehreeek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).



According to the reports, Punjab government bore a loss of Rs110.8 million while different federal departments faced a loss of over Rs20 million. The Islamabad police spent Rs71 million during the sit-in while the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) incurred a loss of Rs5.5 million loss.

The Islamabad local administration had to bear a loss of Rs1.44 million.

Source said Pemra has also submitted a comprehensive report, giving detail of its actions taken during three days from November 24 to 26. It said it did everything on the direction of the federal government and gave several guidelines to TV channels from time to time.

Pemra has also furnished detail of its actions against TV channels and different anchors during the last two years. It also submitted 12 cases, wherein the regularity authority had taken coercive actions against TV channels and media persons but they got stay orders from different courts.



Earlier, the Islamabad police had told the SC that provocation of law enforcers’ religious sentiments by protesters was one of the major causes of the failure of Fiazabad operation.

“The police force was fatigued due to prolonged deployment for last many days. Mixed deployment of different forces ie, the FC and Rangers also had negative effects on productivity.

“Religious sentiments of the men deployed for operation were provoked by the protesters through their speeches thus making them a hurdle in effective utilization of men,” their report had said.