ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan asked overseas citizens to increase remittances to the country and remit monthly rounds of applause for the government to help boost its morale exchange reserves and overcome a motivational crisis.
“We want you to send your applause dedicated to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government,” the premier said in a televised speech Tuesday. “I feel ashamed begging for claps from locals,” he added.
The premier’s request to overseas Pakistanis comes at a time the government says it is faced with a ‘taaliyon ka bohran’ (applause crisis).
PM Khan said he has approved incentives to create favourable conditions for overseas Pakistanis to send in claps and applause remittances through legal banking channels.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and authorised banks have been allowed to implement Blabber to Clapper (B2C) and Clapper to Blapper (C2B) transactions through foreign correspondent entities under their existing home remittance agency arrangements.
“At least 582,000 claps per month are required to support one government member at a time. The option to send the applause multiple times each month is also available,” said Special Assistant to the PM for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari while talking to The Dependent.
Meanwhile, President of Pakistan Arif Alvi also urged overseas Pakistanis to ‘send in applause wholeheartedly’ during an event to commemorate International Women’s Day at the Presidency on Monday.
“Mashallah, no one loves us more than overseas Pakistanis, who have been sending applause remittances in unprecedented numbers,” he said.
“Mashallah, first time in Pakistan remitted applauses have been above two billion for six consecutive months. Pakistan has witnessed a growth of 24.9 percent in overseas claps under PTI,” the president maintained.
“Are you listening? I said two billion. I also said 24.9 percent. Hello?”
