According to media reports, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan has been quoted as saying that he would call overseas Pakistanis to halt remittances if the government failed to fulfil his two demands related to the release of his party’s workers and a judicial probe into May 9 and November 26 incidents.
Talking to reporters outside the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi Tuesday, Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, reportedly said Khan delayed the call of halting remittances for a few days upon the recommendation of his party aides, adding that if the government failed to fulfil our two demands, then he would make a call to overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances to the country.
The foregoing clearly shows that the incarcerated PTI founder has been forced into a place or situation from which it is hard to escape. That a majority of overseas Pakistanis, particularly those on both sides of the Atlantic, strongly support Imran Khan is a fact.
Expatriates had pinned high hopes on him when he came to power in 2018, as his government had urged overseas diaspora to invest in the country. No doubt, his call received traction. The reasons behind his popularity among expatriates include his charismatic leadership, anti-corruption stance, focus on overseas Pakistan, cultural connection, youth appeal, global advocacy and, above all, his highly nuanced approach to social media.
There is no denying that workers’ remittances provide our government principal support to make repayments against external debt. The government, in my view, must take his threat seriously and initiate a dialogue with him without any further loss of time in order to insulate country’s economy from real or perceived dangers.
Asif Langrial (Lahore)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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