Pakistan incurs a staggering economic loss of Rs. 190 billion on a daily basis due to lockdowns unnecessarily imposed by the current federal government, according to the Finance Ministry.
On Saturday, the country experienced one of the worst lockdowns in recent history after the government preemptively closed all major transport routes 48 hours before a planned protest by its opponents in Islamabad.
The government calls it ‘repair work’ when it looks like something far more complicated.
An internal Finance Ministry report estimated that these disruptions result in a daily GDP loss of Rs. 144 billion, along with Rs. 16 billion in export revenue and Rs. 26 billion in FBR revenue. Foreign direct investment inflows suffer a further Rs. 3 billion loss daily.
The report noted that such shutdowns disrupt supply chains, affect industrial and agricultural production, and inflate food prices due to transportation challenges. The ministry downward calculated the daily GDP at Rs. 198 billion instead of the projected Rs. 342 billion.
The ministry warned that ongoing political risks are worsening the fiscal deficit, undermining GDP growth, and deterring foreign investment.