Pakistan spent Rs724 million on protest security in 2022-23

The government spent Rs724 million last year to secure the Red Zone in Islamabad and control protests, as reported by the Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry. This amount is the highest in five years. During the fiscal year 2022-23, the government faced numerous protests, which led to these increased security costs. In previous years, security expenses were much lower. For instance, only Rs150 million was spent in 2019-20. In comparison, security spending was Rs157.76 million in 2019-20, Rs96.13 million in 2020-21, and Rs277.95 million in 2021-22. For 2023-24, security spending is expected to be about Rs100 million. Chaudhry mentioned that the costs cover transportation, food, and lodging for security personnel, as well as containers used to block roads during protests. He suggested that if opposition parties had followed legal protest guidelines, many of these costs could have been avoided. Additionally, the government is cracking down on professional beggars in the city, with many arrests made. However, most offenders were released because their offenses are bailable. The minister hinted at plans for stricter laws to tackle this issue. In another discussion, the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Zeb Jaffer, noted that international flight operations from Gwadar Airport have started, with Pakistan International Airlines operating flights to Oman. She stated that airlines from China and Gulf countries now have rights to operate unlimited flights to and from Gwadar. Finally, the government is also planning to upgrade Sukkur’s Begum Nusrat Bhutto Airport, with a budget of Rs40 billion prepared for the project.