The PTI has gone through the spinner in recent years, but its last situation has stands out – the party leadership turns a deaf ear towards the repeated calls of the founding president Imran Khan to contribute to the party funds, even if it is confronted with a serious financial crunch. Party initiates say that money problems accumulate, with a perfect storm of challenges ranging from freezing of party accounts by institutions to leaders keeping their tight stock market ropes despite Khan’s instructions behind bars. While some PTI leaders publicly reject the allegations of a financial crisis, the initiates reveal that the party operates on smoke. The situation has deteriorated insofar as the wages of the staff have been reduced by half, and the party now works with a skeletal crew. To add the insult to the injury, the decision to dismiss staff and reduce the wages of the remaining staff came when PTI legislators have just received an increase in their wages from the Parliament. Previously, the legislators used to obtain a monthly salary from RS180,000, which has now been increased for each MNA and senator to 519,000 rupees. It all started in January when a PTI circular, issued with the approval of Khan, ordered parliamentarians and ticket holders to make an annual contribution of RS240,000 with two six monthly payments in festive funds.
"The party goes through one of its most difficult moments in party history," Read the circular, adding that the party decided that it should call on all those who held important positions in the game to collect the funds necessary to manage the party. The circular approved by Khan hoped to receive the necessary funds from party leaders in January 2025 and, thereafter every six months. However, party initiates said Khan’s instructions have not been taken seriously so far and, therefore, the party has been forced to reduce expenses by reducing wages and staff members.
"I do not know the exact position," A senior PTI official said, "But I believe that enough funds are available for wages and expenses in party funds. In response to several questions, the party’s pillar revealed that no money had been spent from the party funds for the recent visit of party leaders to Sindh, saying that everyone carried all their expenses or contributed to the visit. In addition, the PTI chief said that the recent group of opposition parties was sponsored by Pakistan Awam, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and PKMAP chief, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, saying that PTI also contributed, but the majority of expenses were brought by Abbasi and Achakzai.
"There is no question of not contributing to the party funds, in particular, after the instructions of Khan Sahib," he said. "RS240,000 is not much. I have no exact figures but many have contributed." However, he has offered no explanation to reduce party staff and reduce wages half. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said the party decided to collect funds from its members after the FIA and ECP froze its accounts, interrupting financial entries.
"It is the responsibility of MNA, AMP and ticket holders to take care of people working for the party," The PTI spokesperson said. Akram said that the information secretary does not interfere in the party’s finance department, but added that party leaders contributed and outside the banks. However, he had no exact details on the grounds that "This is not my department." He did not specifically comment on the dismissal of PTI staff members and the reduction of their wages. Several other party leaders, including the president of the PTI Barrister Gohar, were also invited to share their comments, but they did not do so.
