PTI Protests Cost Islamabad Police Over 33 Crore Rupees in Just Three Days
Islamabad:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf** (PTI) has held multiple protests demanding the release of its founding chairman, **Imran Khan**, with the most recent large-scale demonstration taking place from **November 24 to 26** at **D-Chowk**. In response, Islamabad Police was tasked with maintaining law and order during these protests, leading to significant financial expenditures.
According to official reports, **Islamabad Police** spent over **33 crore rupees** during these three days of PTI’s protests. Key areas of expenditure included the cost of **containers**, **vehicles**, and **fuel** to manage and disperse crowds.
### **Container Rentals:**
To prevent the protests from escalating, hundreds of **shipping containers** were deployed at various locations across Islamabad. These containers, which were rented for crowd control and road blockades, incurred a cost of **45.68 crore rupees** over the last **five months**. During the November protests, more than **800 containers** were used to seal off **30 locations** in the capital.
### **Vehicle and Personnel Transfers:**
The movement of police officers from one location to another during the protests also added to the costs. Over **19 crore rupees** were spent on the rental of vehicles to transport the officers to different sites. Additionally, **8.27 crore rupees** were spent on food and meal expenses for police personnel working during the protests.
### **Fuel Costs:**
During the protests, Islamabad Police incurred fuel costs amounting to **1 crore rupees** for their own vehicles. Over the past **five months**, the total fuel expenditure for Islamabad Police, including petrol and diesel, has reached an alarming **15.65 crore rupees**.
### **Provincial Police and Security Forces:**
In addition to Islamabad Police, several other provincial forces were also deployed to manage the situation. Police personnel from **Punjab**, **Sindh**, **Kashmir**, and **FC Rangers** were called in to assist with the security measures. The total expenditure for these additional forces amounted to **21.21 crore rupees**.
### **Special Honorarium:**
Officers on special duty during the protests were given an **honorarium** as an incentive. A total of **10.72 crore rupees** was paid as special duty allowances to these officers, with an additional **61 lakh rupees** awarded in **cash rewards**. The **traffic police** also received **1.29 crore rupees** for their special services during the protests.
### **Islamabad Police Budget:**
The **Islamabad Police’s** budget for the financial year **2024-25** was set at **13.49 billion rupees**. However, in the first five months alone, the force has already spent **6.58 billion rupees**, leaving a remaining budget of **6.91 billion rupees** for the next seven months.
The heavy financial burden imposed by PTI’s prolonged protests has raised concerns over the sustainability of the capital’s law enforcement budget, which continues to face increasing expenses due to frequent political demonstrations and unrest.
