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PTI founder Imran Khan on Thursday warned that the first phase of the party\u2019s civil disobedience movement \u2014 boycotting remittances \u2014 would kick off from December 22 if his \u201clegitimate demands\u201d were not met by the government.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the former prime minister had warned<\/a> of a civil disobedience movement from Dec 14 if his demands about the release of political prisoners facing trial and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26 were unmet.<\/p>\n His sister Aleema Khanum had said on Tuesday that Imran had warned that he would ask overseas Pakistanis to halt remittances if the government failed to meet his demands. PTI lawyer Chaudhry Faisal Hussain said a day ago that Imran had asked the party leadership to wait till Sunday before going ahead with the campaign.<\/p>\n A statement<\/a> issued on the incarcerated ex-premier\u2019s X account today shared the \u201cimportant message\u201d from Imran.<\/p>\n Reiterating the demands, the statement said the first phase comprising boycotting remittances would begin from Sunday if Imran\u2019s demands were not met.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will appeal to Pakistanis living abroad that the situation in Pakistan is evident to you; democracy, the judiciary, and the media has been stifled, and a period of oppression and fascism is ongoing. Therefore, we urge you to start the boycott of remittances.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement said that the party\u2019s offer for negotiations was ridiculed and it was framed as if the PTI had surrendered. It added that the offer for talks and delaying the civil disobedience movement was made in the \u201cbroader national interest\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the government shows no interest, we will not force negotiations upon them. Our offer should never be seen as a sign of our weakness. If the government still wants to prevent the civil disobedience movement, they must contact us regarding our two demands or convince us that these demands are unconstitutional and cannot be addressed.<\/p>\n \u201cI have invited a negotiation team for a meeting in jail and provided their names. Now, we will see whether the government allows them to meet with me or not,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Following Imran\u2019s arrest on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court\u2019s premises, riots erupted<\/a> across the country that went on for at least 24 hours. At least 10 people lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries, while approximately 40 public buildings and military installations were damaged.<\/p>\n The state then launched a severe crackdown on his party, rounding up thousands of PTI workers and almost the entire top-tier leadership, with many still facing court proceedings under serious charges.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a day of pitched battles<\/a> between security forces and PTI protesters across the federal capital last month ended in a hasty retreat of the party\u2019s top leadership and supporters from the Red Zone in the early hours of November 27 as an end to its \u201cfinal call\u201d nationwide protests.<\/p>\n The PTI claimed that at least 12<\/a> party supporters died in Islamabad as a result of firing by law enforcement agencies. The government has repeatedly refuted<\/a> the allegations, asserting that security personnel were deployed \u201cwithout live ammunition\u201d.<\/p>\n