PTI Delays Launching Civil Disobedience Movement, Shoaib Yousafzai Explains the Reason
Rawalpindi: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has clarified that it will not be launching its civil disobedience movement at this time. PTI leader Shoaib Yousafzai explained that the party had planned to initiate the movement, but negotiations with the government had not yet concluded, which delayed the decision.
Yousafzai stated that the civil disobedience movement would have commenced today had the government not formed a negotiation committee. He explained that PTI leadership had requested the founder of the party, Imran Khan, to give the government an opportunity to engage in talks before making such a significant decision. Unfortunately, according to Yousafzai, the government’s response had been immature.
He emphasized that the government likely believed PTI had weakened, which is why they were now offering negotiations. Yousafzai stressed that PTI wanted to avoid further national difficulties but expressed disappointment with the government’s attitude. He stated that if the negotiations failed, Imran Khan would announce a new course of action, which could potentially lead to consequences for the country, and in that case, the government would bear responsibility.
Yousafzai further clarified that contrary to what was reported by private TV channels, he had never stated that PTI had decided not to launch the civil disobedience movement. Instead, he said that the movement was delayed because negotiations had yet to take place. If talks failed, he confirmed, Imran Khan would lead the announcement and outline the details of the movement.
On a related note, Shoaib Yousafzai highlighted the importance of remittances from overseas Pakistanis, which currently amount to nearly $33–34 billion annually. He pointed out that the Pakistani diaspora, particularly in the UK, sent around £3 billion every year, and that they were overwhelmingly supportive of Imran Khan. Yousafzai warned that if these remittances were to stop, Pakistan would face severe financial challenges.
He further questioned the government’s decision to make compromises with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in exchange for a few billion dollars and the financial burden it placed on the public. Yousafzai expressed the PTI’s desire for the government to engage in serious negotiations before taking any drastic steps to avoid worsening the country’s economic situation.