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ISLAMABAD: Leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan have denied reports of internal rifts over the party’s recently launched anti-government protest campaign, saying the outfit remained united in its demand for Khan’s release.

On July 13, PTI announced a 90-day “do-or-die” protest drive against the government, days after 26 of its provincial lawmakers were suspended in Punjab and the Supreme Court rejected its appeal to reclaim reserved parliamentary seats for women and minorities.

The new protest campaign was launched by Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a close Khan ally, but appeared to contradict an earlier call for a nationwide protest, posted on Khan’s official X account, set to culminate on August 5, marking the second anniversary of his imprisonment on corruption charges.

More questions emerged as senior PTI leader and Punjab Chief Organizer Aliya Hamza Malik publicly voiced concerns on X about a lack of clarity around the campaign. Malik questioned the origin of the 90-day plan and asked for details on the party’s strategy to secure Khan’s release. Khan has been in jail for nearly two years on multiple charges that he and his party say are politically motivated.

Arab News reached out to Malik for comment but received no response. However, PTI’s central spokesperson dismissed suggestions of internal divisions.

“There is no rift within the party as a whole, everyone is united on the agenda of ensuring Khan’s release, and the PTI is a large party where minor differences of opinion are natural and are part of a political culture,” PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told Arab News. “A single statement can easily be blown out of proportion in this age of social media, but the reality is quite different.

“The party remains united under Khan’s leadership and is focused on a single objective, working for his release.”

Khan was ousted from the PM’s office in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 and jailed in August 2023. Since then, the PTI has repeatedly mobilized street protests, including a large march to Islamabad in November 2024, to demand his release and challenge the legitimacy of the February 2024 general election. The government accuses the PTI of using the protests to incite instability and disrupt efforts at economic recovery.

Asked about the structure of the current protest drive, Akram said the campaign had already begun, with each provincial chapter tasked with planning its own activities.

“All provincial chapters will finalize their protest plans within this week, and the goal is to build momentum leading up to August 5,” he said, declining further comment on the plans.

Earlier this month, Khan’s sister said his sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, who live in the UK, would join the campaign in Pakistan after returning from the United States. She said they would also raise awareness internationally, including in the US, about alleged human rights violations against Khan and PTI members. 

Party leaders declined to provide updates on Sulaiman and Kasim’s plans. 

“MINOR DIFFERENCES”

In the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the PTI holds power, party leaders also denied any discord.

CM Gandapur’s announcement of the 90-day campaign was made “in coordination with the top leadership and in line with Khan’s directions,” said Malik Adeel Iqbal, PTI’s information secretary in the province.

“There are no differences within the party,” he told Arab News. “We are focused on finalizing our protest plans in KP, while Punjab will make its own plans. If anyone has any concerns, they should raise them with the central leadership or Khan, rather than making them public.”

Ali Imtiaz Warraich, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, said “minor differences” stemmed from communication challenges due to limited access to Khan in jail.

“As it is difficult to contact Imran Khan and receive directions due to obstacles in leadership meetings with him, the emergence of minor differences is natural,” he said. “But there is no rift between the KP and Punjab chapters or their leadership.”

Warraich said the party’s unity was visible last week when a large number of PTI lawmakers from Punjab joined CM Gandapur at a meeting in Lahore when the 90-day protest plan was announced. 

“We will organize our own protest plans in the province as per the directions of local and central leadership,” he said.

Asked whether the Punjab government would permit the protest campaign, provincial Information Minister Azma Bukhari said peaceful protest was a democratic right but accused the PTI of abusing that right in the past.

“PTI has a history of violence and anarchy,” she told reporters. “No political party is allowed to attack with weapons as Pakistan is our red line.”

“Politics should be kept above personal ego and self-interest and political issues resolved through political means,” Bukhari added.

Hundreds of PTI supporters were arrested after riots allegedly incited by the party against the military on May 9, 2023. The government also says four soldiers were killed in November protests last year. PTI denies the charges. 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will launch simplified digital tax returns for salaried individuals today, Tuesday, the prime minister’s office announced, in a move aimed at increasing tax compliance and widening the country’s historically narrow tax base.

The launch is part of a broader reform effort tied to the government’s economic stabilization agenda and structural benchmarks under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. Despite a population of more than 240 million, Pakistan has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the region, with only a small percentage of citizens filing returns.

At a meeting to review progress on tax reforms, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed that besides the new tax system for the salaried class, user-friendly, digital tax return forms would also be made available to other taxpayer categories from July 30. Urdu-language versions will be introduced to increase accessibility for salaried individuals.

“A third-party validation should be ensured for the transparency of all FBR reforms,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by his office. “Public awareness campaign should be launched regarding the ease of filing tax returns so that more and more people file returns under the new system.”

In June, the government set a record-high tax collection target of Rs14.13 trillion ($47.4 billion) for the fiscal year 2025–26, marking a 9 percent increase from the previous year. Officials say meeting this goal is essential to reducing reliance on external debt and ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability.

Sharif emphasized that expanding the tax net and easing the burden on low-income groups were key policy priorities. He also praised the FBR for deploying artificial intelligence in tax assessments, calling it a “milestone” in modernizing the country’s tax infrastructure.

“The prime minister directed provision of special facilities to small and medium-sized businesses to join the digital invoicing system,” the statement from his office said.

IMF country representative Mahir Binici said last week Pakistan’s recent reforms had helped restore macroeconomic stability and rebuild investor confidence but warned that global uncertainty continued to pose significant risks.

“Structural reforms remain central to Pakistan’s long-term economic sustainability, particularly reforms that strengthen tax equity, improve the business climate, and encourage private-sector-led investment,” Binici said during a recent lecture at an Islamabad-based think tank.

He added that geopolitical tensions, weakening global cooperation and external shocks required governments like Pakistan’s to take prudent, forward-looking actions to shield their economies.