RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march has incurred millions of rupees in expenses, with the Punjab government facing mounting costs for police deployment, food, accommodation and containers, sources said.
According to sources, around Rs50 million is being paid for the deployment of police personnel arriving from across Punjab on a daily basis.
Police personnel have so far been paid Rs450 million in daily allowances over the past 10 days, sources said.
The expenses for three meals and accommodation for the deployed police personnel are five times higher, according to sources.
More than 800 containers have been placed at different locations in Rawalpindi, Taxila, Attock and along the motorway.
Sources said container and truck owners have so far neither been paid nor contacted regarding the vehicles deployed for the march.
If the sit-in continues for a longer period, the Punjab government may have to pay more than Rs5 billion in expenses, sources said.
According to credible sources, resources have been taken from civic bodies for the police deployment.
The economy is also facing separate financial losses on a daily basis due to the situation, sources added.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership formally announced the postponement of its highly anticipated nationwide protests and long march towards Islamabad till October 4.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that the party has decided to postpone the march till October 4, the date when he and his party workers will leave Peshawar for Islamabad.
Earlier in the day, ARY News reported that a PTI political committee meeting recommended delaying the long march programme till October 5.
Sources also said that a second meeting was expected to take place later in the evening, where senior coalition leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas would be formally taken into confidence.
