Karachi: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has once again called on overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances to the country.
This statement comes amid escalating political tensions between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government.
A post from Imran Khan’s X account stated, “Once again, I appeal to overseas Pakistanis to continue the boycott of sending foreign currency. Sending money to this government only strengthens the hands that are tightening the noose around your necks.”
Remittances sent by Pakistanis working in countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, the UK, and others play a crucial role in supporting the country’s limited foreign exchange reserves and stabilizing the economy.
This development occurred as negotiations between the government and PTI, which began last month, failed this week.
Talks were suspended after PTI insisted that they would not participate unless judicial commissions were formed to investigate the anti-government protests on May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024, according to Independent Urdu.
Supporters of Imran Khan were accused of vandalizing military offices and installations on May 9, 2023, while they staged a protest in Islamabad on November 26, 2024, demanding Khan’s release.
The government claimed that four security personnel lost their lives during the November demonstrations, whereas PTI maintains that their workers were killed in the clashes.
Minister for Information, Attaullah Tarar, criticized PTI this week for “unilaterally” ending the negotiations, stating that the party made a hasty decision.
The government’s negotiating committee announced that it would formally respond to PTI’s demands on January 28.
Imran Khan has once again urged his supporters to observe February 8, marking the first anniversary of the elections, as a “Black Day.”
PTI alleges that last year’s controversial elections, which were marred by delays in results and disruptions to internet and mobile services, were manipulated by the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan to keep PTI out of power.
However, both the interim government and the election commission have denied these allegations.
A post from Imran Khan’s X account called on people to prepare for nationwide protests on February 8. It stated that people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Northern Punjab should gather in Swat for demonstrations, while citizens in other cities should protest at their respective locations.
Imran Khan was removed from power in 2022, widely believed to be due to differences with the country’s powerful military establishment. However, the military has denied any involvement in political affairs.
Khan has been in prison since August 2023 and faces multiple legal cases. He claims that these cases are politically motivated to keep him and his party away from power.
While he has been acquitted or had sentences suspended in most cases, last week, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a corruption case. All hearings related to his cases were conducted inside the prison due to security concerns, with no access granted to the public or media.