Depressed mood post protests

Political violence is not new to Pakistan, but the events ensuing the arrest of Imran Khan upped the ante. In what many termed ‘a grave reaction,’ Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf zealots also targeted markers of the military during the violent protests last week. The business class believed that the total cumulative loss inflicted by the PTI protesters and the closure of mobile data service by the government last week may exceed the cost of turmoil following Benazir Bhutto’s murder. The total cost of mayhem in the last four days of the year 2007 was estimated to be Rs100 to 120 billion ($1.9-2.0bn when a dollar was at Rs61). According to quoted media reports, this included Rs35bn in lost revenues, Rs64bn in production loss because of industry and shops closures, and the remainder was owing to damage to property and infrastructure such as motorbikes, cars, trucks, trawlers, petrol stations, bank branches, government offices and railway tracks.