Rs10mn spent daily on deployment of security personnel for Islamabad sit-in: sources

ISLAMABAD: As the protest at Faizabad Interchange enters the third week, the government has been spending approximately Rs10 million daily on the deployment of security personnel, sources informed Geo News on Thursday.

The recurring protests and sit-ins in the federal capital have indebted the Islamabad Police so much so that it has become difficult to feed the personnel deployed for security around Faizabad Interchange.

The administration appears unable to maintain a security presence around the vicinity after the contractors, who up till now had been supplying food on credit, have declined to facilitate any more requests sans payment, sources added.

Routine life in the 'twin cities' remains greatly disrupted as protesters, belonging to a religious party, continue the blockade of the interchange, despite a notice by the Supreme Court.

The protest has resulted in severe problems for residents, who face traffic jams and mobility issues on a daily basis. At least two casualties due to ambulances being unable to cross the protesters have also been reported.

Authorities have acquired services of 3,000 personnel from the Frontier Constabulary (FC), 4,000 from Punjab Police and 1,000 Azad Kashmir Police for deployment around Faizabad sit-in, they said.

The expense for providing food to the personnel comes to over Rs2.5 million daily, sources further said.

The expense for 200 rented containers and vehicles and fuel is not included in the daily expenses tally

On the other hand, the Ministry of Finance has not released an additional grant for previous sit-ins, documents available with Geo News suggest.

There had been recurring expenditures on different protests and sit-ins from September 7 to November 22.

The security for Jamaat-e-Islami's protest on September 8 cost Rs12.6 million, documents suggest.

Similarly, the sit-in by Sunni Tehreek, which began on September 24 and lasted for eight days, cost Rs23.5 million.