he Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf – when it headed the federal government – was waging an international effort to improve its standing and forge stronger connections with influential players worldwide. The PTI leaders now claim that it is being victimised for its daring policies – particularly its foreign policy. The party has since invested more in its international campaign to garner support from other countries, particularly from Western nations that have a great deal of influence in Pakistan. Imran Khan personally embarked on an international media drive following his ouster from office, making appearances on several prominent international media platforms.

Following the general elections held in February 2024, the party’s foreign campaign centred on bringing the world’s attention to the post-polls manipulation intended to “deprive” the party of its mandate. The party has emphasised the need for an independent investigation into the matter on every national and international forum. Earlier, following Imran Khan’s arrest in May 2023, the party’s global campaign had shifted its focus to calling for his release.

Why did the PTI feel the need to advocate overseas for Imran Khan’s release or to oppose its “silencing” and/ or “victimisation?” The PTI-government’s “aggressive” foreign policy towards the US and the EU could only cause the party to be somewhat isolated internationally. The Biden administration has little faith in Imran Khan for a number of reasons. This was exacerbated by Khan’s repeated use of the phrase “absolutely not,” and his lunch meeting with President Putin just hours after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. There seemed to be no way for Imran Khan and his party to establish trust in Washington following Khan’s allegation that the US government was responsible for his removal in April 2022. The US president and his diplomatic team found him bothersome. Furthermore, Khan and several other leaders of his party used terms such as “imported government” for the PDM-led government apparently in implicit criticism of Western powers.

Khan and his party had not named the US when the cypher controversy first surfaced. Khan stated that his government was the target of a plot by a “powerful” country. Then, during a public gathering, Imran Khan ‘accidentally’ revealed the name. Understandably, the PTI’s relations with the US were strained. Contradictory positions taken by various PTI leaders at various points in time added to the confusion.

A letter to the International Monetary Fund, talks with the US ambassador in Pakistan and employing US lobbying firms are a few actions that define the campaign. In January 2022, the PTI hired LGS, an American company. The PTI chairman is said to have had a video conference with Donald Blome, the US ambassador in Islamabad, in the middle of 2022. Sherry Rehman asserted in August 2022 that the PTI had had discussions with the US ambassador while he was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that Imran Khan had spoken with him in private. The party also hired Fenton/ Arlook, another American consultancy, in the same month. A third company, Praia Consultants, was brought on board in March 2023.

Senator Ali Zafar was the first PTI leader to reveal that a letter would be written to the IMF. This was two weeks after the general elections of 2024. Donald Blome, the US ambassador, met a PTI delegation led by Omar Ayub Khan in May 2024. The delegates included Raoof Hasan, Asad Qaiser and PTI chairman Gohar Khan. The meeting covered human rights issues, the state of the economy and the “state invasion” of peoples’ right to vote.

A few months ago, Attaullah Tarar, the federal minister of information and television, accused the PTI of putting Pakistan’s GSP Plus status – which allows for favourable trade treatment – in jeopardy by presenting a misleading story to the European Union. The PTI vehemently disagreed and the EU officials denied it.

What is the impact of lobbying on Pakistani politics? Press reports detailing PTI’s interactions with foreign entities, such as the IMF, and its employment of US companies for damage control, public relations and bolstering ties with the US have often made headlines in print and digital media. In addition to garnering a lot of attention from Pakistanis, the campaign has had an impact on national political and economic discourse as well as developments.

Some of its opponents see the PTI’s overseas activities as ‘anti-Pakistan.’ Naturally, the PTI has consistently rejected such accusations. Bitter remarks from both sides have widened the already-existing divides and animosities, further straining the political climate.

To put it simply, the PTI’s global lobbying campaign has sparked discussions and developments that have taken up a significant amount of national time and energy. They have also frequently served as a distraction from other, more pressing, national issues like unemployment, inflation, trade deficits, militancy and rising electricity costs.

The recent ‘decision’ by the government to outlaw the PTI cannot be fully understood without taking into account the latter’s worldwide lobbying campaign and the discussions and developments that have followed.

The growing lack of trust amongst political actors has given other forces greater room to manoeuvre. This does not bode well for the future of democracy. That does not, however, imply that Pakistani democracy, in general, is stagnating or that it does not have a promising future.

The writer has a PhD in politics and international relations and is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sargodha