PTI founder also calls for nationwide demonstrations on Feb 8, marking contentious 2024 elections as a “Black Day”
Khayam Abbasi
Rawalpindi: Former prime minister Imran Khan, currently serving a jail sentence, on Sunday reiterated his call for overseas Pakistanis to boycott sending remittances, escalating political tensions as his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), faces off with the government.
“Once again, I urge overseas Pakistanis to continue their boycott of foreign currency remittances,” Khan said in a post on X. “Sending money to this government strengthens the very hands that are tightening the noose around your necks.”
The appeal comes as talks between the government and PTI, initiated last month, broke down this week. The deadlock followed the PTI’s refusal to participate without judicial commissions to probe protests on May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024.
Khan also called for nationwide demonstrations on Feb. 8, marking the contentious 2024 elections as a “Black Day.” PTI alleges election rigging by the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan. Both entities deny the claims.
“Prepare to observe a nationwide ‘Black Day,’” read another post from Khan’s account. “People from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Punjab should gather in Swabi for protests, while others must hold demonstrations in their respective cities.”
The May 2023 protests allegedly saw Khan supporters vandalising military installations. On November 26, 2024, protesters demanded Khan’s release, with the government claiming four troops were killed in the demonstrations. The PTI insists its supporters also faced casualties.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar criticised PTI for “unilaterally” abandoning negotiations. “They took the decision in haste,” he said. The government’s negotiation committee is expected to formally respond to the PTI’s demands on Jan. 28.
Khan was ousted in 2022 following what is believed to be a fallout with the country’s top generals. The military denies interference in politics. Since August 2023, Khan has been imprisoned on various charges, which he alleges are politically motivated to exclude him from power.
While he has been acquitted or had sentences suspended in most cases, last week he was sentenced to 14 years in prison over a land corruption case. All proceedings against him have been conducted in prison, citing security concerns.
Remittances from overseas workers, particularly from countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, and the UK, remain crucial for Pakistan’s cash-strapped economy. Analysts warn that any significant impact on remittance flows could worsen the country’s fragile financial situation.
