ISLAMABAD: Amid a reported financial crunch, staff salaries at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretariat have been slashed by 50%, according to sources familiar with the matter on Tuesday.
In addition to the salary cuts, other employee benefits, such as fuel allowances, have also been eliminated with immediate effect, the sources revealed. It is understood that at least 25 employees have been affected by the salary reduction.
In response to these developments, PTI’s Central Information Secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, stated that he personally disagreed with the decision to slash salaries. However, he explained that the decision was made due to the party’s ongoing financial difficulties and the freezing of its accounts. Akram assured that once the financial situation improves, staff salaries will be reinstated to their previous levels.
The current financial crisis stems from the deteriorating relationship between PTI founder Imran Khan and the establishment, which worsened following his ouster from office in April 2022. The situation further escalated after the May 9 riots, which were sparked by Khan’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case. The riots led to violent protests across the country, during which several military and civil installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, were targeted.
Following these protests, hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were arrested for their involvement in the violence and attacks on military facilities. The military declared May 9 as “Black Day” and opted to try the protesters under the Army Act.
Subsequently, numerous party leaders and activists were detained and tried in military courts. In December of last year, 25 individuals were convicted by military courts, and in the following days, 60 others, including Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi, were sentenced.
However, in January, the sentences of 19 convicts were pardoned after their appeals for mercy were accepted by the Courts of Appeal on humanitarian grounds. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) reported that 67 convicts filed mercy petitions, 48 of which were processed. PTI, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the pardon, particularly over the limited number of individuals granted relief. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan strongly opposed the trial of civilians in military courts, citing a Supreme Court ruling against such practices.
