Khan Calls for Civil Disobedience, PTI Senior Leader Says It’s ‘Only Option’
Protesters see the refusal to send money from overseas, a move that would have serious impacts on Pakistan’s struggling economy, as one of the few options left for a movement facing ongoing government suppression
[Islamabad] Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced plans to launch a civil disobedience movement starting December 14. In the initial stage of the protest, he called on Pakistanis living abroad to stop sending money to Pakistan.
In a statement issued from his X account, Khan demanded the release of workers from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and called for a judicial commission to transparently investigate state suppression of the party. He described two stages of the proposed civil disobedience movement. In the first phase, he wrote, “We will appeal to overseas Pakistanis to limit remittances and initiate a boycott campaign. In the second phase, we will escalate further.”
Two major instances of alleged state suppression occurred in May 2023 and November 2024.
On May 9, 2023, PTI protests erupted after Khan was arrested. Those protests led to violent clashes with security forces, and many PTI leaders and workers were arrested. The party said the state response was a conspiracy to suppress the PTI movement.
On November 26, 2024, when PTI Islamabad held a large demonstration calling for the release of Khan and fellow party workers, the state responded with full force. PTI reported that hundreds of party workers were imprisoned, and several were injured or killed. The government has denied those allegations.
Khan said that Pakistan had been transformed into “a dictatorship” under the current leadership. “As a result of state terrorism, unarmed political workers were fired upon, and peaceful protesters were martyred. Hundreds of our workers remain missing. The Supreme Court must now take notice of this and fulfill its constitutional role,” he wrote.
This is not Khan’s first call for a civil disobedience movement. In 2014, he made a similar announcement during a 126-day sit-in in Islamabad, even burning his electricity bill on stage as a symbolic gesture.
Speaking to the media outside of Adiala jail, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan explained the potential impact of a boycott by the Pakistani diaspora. She said that Pakistan’s economic system “is actually sustained by the hard work of overseas Pakistanis.”
Remittances from overseas Pakistanis are crucial for the economy. They provide a key source of foreign exchange, stabilize the balance of payments, and reduce the state’s reliance on debt. These funds are vital for economic stability, poverty reduction, and development in Pakistan.
Money sent from abroad helps improve families’ living standards, boost domestic consumption, and invest in local businesses and infrastructure. Remittances also strengthen the Pakistani currency and enhance access to essential services.
The State Bank of Pakistan reported that annual remittances reached $3 billion in October 2024, a 24% jump. July to October saw a 35% jump in total remittances, reaching $11.8 billion.
According to the State Bank, the PTI government’s final fiscal year, 2021-2022, saw $31.2 billion in remittances, a slight increase from the $30.3 billion of the preceding year.
Khan enjoys significant popularity among the Pakistani diaspora, while other political parties have minimal support abroad. Overseas Pakistanis have responded to Khan’s previous appeals with swift donations that have amounted to millions of dollars for PTI.
Shoaib Shaheen, an Islamabad-based senior leader in PTI, described the civil disobedience movement as the only option.
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First, on May 9, a conspiracy led to the arrest of leaders and workers during the protest. Then, in the general elections, an illegal government was imposed, disregarding the will of the majority. When we peacefully exercised our constitutional right to protest, we were met with bullets and roadblocks. Now, what other option do we have but to launch a movement like civil disobedience?
“First, on May 9, a conspiracy led to the arrest of leaders and workers during the protest. Then, in the general elections, an illegal government was imposed, disregarding the will of the majority,” he told The Media Line. “When we peacefully exercised our constitutional right to protest, we were met with bullets and roadblocks. Now, what other option do we have but to launch a movement like civil disobedience?”
The Pakistani government has expressed willingness to negotiate with Khan. In a televised interview, Rana Sanaullah, special assistant to the prime minister on political affairs, said that “the government remains open to discussions and has not shut the door on potential negotiations.”
He said that the release of jailed individuals was in the hands of the courts, not the government.
Syed Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of Khan’s, told The Media Line that negotiations with the government could be held alongside preparations for a civil disobedience movement.
If negotiations fail, PTI will pursue an unprecedented course of action, which is currently under preparation.
“If negotiations fail, PTI will pursue an unprecedented course of action, which is currently under preparation,” he said.
Experts are divided on Khan’s call for overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances. Some say people will not stop sending money to their families based on a political leader’s demand, and others warn that the potential impact could severely harm the country’s economy.
PTI’s call for civil disobedience is unlikely to gain much traction. Most remittances from overseas Pakistanis are sent to support families back home, so a significant drop in remittances is not expected. For these reasons, the movement is unlikely to succeed.”
“PTI’s call for civil disobedience is unlikely to gain much traction,” Fuzail Z. Ahmad, an Islamabad-based economic and financial analyst, told The Media Line. “Most remittances from overseas Pakistanis are sent to support families back home, so a significant drop in remittances is not expected. For these reasons, the movement is unlikely to succeed.”
He added that the Pakistani economy is relatively stable due to low international energy prices and strict oversight from the International Monetary Fund.
Amir Wazir Malik, a Rawalpindi-based political analyst, said that many Pakistanis are under immense financial strain, which may make it difficult for them to take part in a civil disobedience movement.
He told The Media Line that overseas Pakistanis may take the movement seriously, which could affect the economy.
Adeeb Uz Zaman Safvi, a senior political analyst based in Karachi, strongly rejected the government’s narrative that using remittances as a political tool is disloyal or “anti-state.”
He said that the state has repeatedly acted against its citizens over the past three years.
The people of Pakistan have been systematically stripped of their basic rights, including freedom of speech and movement. Their election results were stolen, their homes destroyed, and their loved ones abducted. Worst of all, their constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful protest has been violently suppressed, culminating in a massacre.
“The people of Pakistan have been systematically stripped of their basic rights, including freedom of speech and movement,” Safvi told The Media Line. “Their election results were stolen, their homes destroyed, and their loved ones abducted. Worst of all, their constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful protest has been violently suppressed, culminating in a massacre.”
He described civil disobedience as the only option left for PTI supporters. Acts of civil disobedience, including withholding foreign remittances, will “exert pressure on the illegitimate government and compel it to meet the demands of the people—the rightful stakeholders of the nation,” he said.
Syed Jowdat Nadeem, a member of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and a political observer, warned that the call to withhold remittances could have unintended consequences.
Remittances are a vital lifeline for millions of families, contributing over a billion dollars annually to the economy. Disrupting this flow would exacerbate poverty, deepening inequalities, and destabilize an already fragile economic structure reliant on IMF loans and foreign aid.
“Remittances are a vital lifeline for millions of families, contributing over a billion dollars annually to the economy. Disrupting this flow would exacerbate poverty, deepening inequalities, and destabilize an already fragile economic structure reliant on IMF loans and foreign aid,” he said.
He said withholding remittances could deplete Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, further weaken the rupee, and fuel inflation. This would weaken national security and cause disproportionate harm to vulnerable communities.
“This strategy might also jeopardize Pakistan’s agreements with international lenders,” Nadeem said. “While Imran Khan may gain support from overseas Pakistanis, this approach risks alienating families who depend on remittances, potentially creating domestic opposition.”
