Supporters of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have postponed planned protests in Islamabad after authorities banned public gatherings and blocked major roads, but heavy security measures remain in place across the capital and surrounding areas. Thousands of containers have been deployed to block roads leading into Islamabad, disrupting transport and leaving truck drivers facing major financial losses. Sources told Al Jazeera that about 1,500 containers are in Islamabad and another 2,000 have been deployed in nearby cities, towns and roads in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With each container costing about $70 a day to rent, the government is spending close to $250,000 daily on the barriers alone. An estimated 16,000 to 18,000 security personnel have also been deployed, taking the reported daily cost of the security operation to more than $300,000 when food and other expenses are included. The government also faces wider losses when protests and sit-ins disrupt economic activity, while planned demonstrations by farmers and a religious party could add further pressure.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports from Islamabad.
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