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 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 group, continue 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.

Islamabad administration decides to close streetlights on Faizabad interchange

Administration also discussed the hardships being faced by the citizens of the twin cities

Authorities have acquired services of 3000 personnel from the Frontier Constabulary (FC), 4000 from Punjab Police and 1000 Azad Kashmir Police for deployment around Faizabad sit-in, they said.

The expense for providing food to these personnel is over Rs2.5 million daily, sources said.

The expense for 200 rented containers and vehicles, and fueling remains apart.

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

There had been continuous 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, coost Rs23.5 million.