LAHORE:
Emboldened by record remittances, the government appeared to have found new confidence on Friday as it took a victory lap, ridiculing the PTI’s call for civil disobedience as a failure.
Taking advantage of cash sent home by overseas Pakistanis, the ruling PML-N attacked the PTI, claiming that the party’s call for civil disobedience had faded, and that overseas remittances reached a record level despite of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision. attempts to stoke anti-government sentiment.
The ruling party also praised overseas Pakistanis for their “categorical rejection” of attempts to destabilize the economy.
“Congratulations to the nation on the morning of prosperity as the night of anarchists comes to an end…Overseas Pakistanis have rejected those who called for civil disobedience,” Punjab Chief Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement.
The comments came as the SBP announced $3.1 billion in remittances for December, showing a 29.3% year-on-year increase and a 5.6% increase compared to the previous month.
Adding to the day’s achievements, PIA resumed its long-suspended flights to Europe, with the first flight to Paris taking off after a hiatus of more than four years.
The developments came as the PTI had earlier launched its civil disobedience movement with demands for the release of political prisoners and a judicial inquiry into the events of May 9, 2023 and the November 26 crackdown. Imran Khan had urged his supporters to start the movement by stopping remittances in its first phase.
Congratulating the nation on the progress, Aurangzeb attributed the record remittances to a categorical rejection of the PTI campaign, stating: “Overseas Pakistanis have dismissed the pleas of these anarchists by sending $3.1 billion to Pakistan.”
On the resumption of PIA flights to Europe, he accused the PTI of damaging national assets with reckless statements. “Who will answer for the loss of four and a half years?” she questioned.
He further claimed that the PML-N had saved Pakistan from default and brought inflation to an all-time low.
Similarly, Bilal Azhar Kayani, convenor of the National Parliamentary Task Force on Sustainable Development Goals, termed the remittance figures as a “categorical rejection” of the PTI campaign.
In a statement published in X, he said the development was further evidence of Pakistan’s macroeconomic recovery under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Kayani praised the vital role that overseas Pakistanis continue to play in strengthening the country’s economy.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised the nation for both the remittance milestone and the successful flight of the PIA to Paris. “The claims of those who had been shouting to stop the country’s economy have proven to be baseless,” he said.
