Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has doubled down on his stance on banning Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and said the incumbent government has decided to go ahead with its “in-principle” decision, which will be implemented after consultations and relevant decisions. legal homework.
“We have consulted the PTI ban with the Pakistan People’s Party and we are currently in talks with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan […] people strongly support [the idea of banning [PTI],” Tarar said.
The minister’s remarks follow his announcement last week to impose a ban on the Imran Khan-founded party, stressing that “PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist”.
The decisions, according to Tarar, were taken in view of the former ruling party’s involvement in the May 9 events and attempts by former or current PTI leaders to sabotage Pakistan’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He also said that under Article 6 of the Constitution, treason cases would be filed against Khan, the then President Arif Alvi and the then Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Suri.
However, the announcement drew a strong reaction from various political parties who called the move “childish” and “unconstitutional”.
Several senior leaders of the PPP, which is a key ally of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), also expressed their opposition to the ban move, with Farhatullah Babar calling the decision “absurd”.
Various party leaders, including Senator Sherry Rehman and Information Minister Shazia Atta Marri, also complained that the party was not consulted on the matter.
Meanwhile, former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani said talk of the government banning a political party “is against all norms of democracy”.
However, Pakistan People’s Party MPs later distanced themselves from the Bilawal Bhutto-led PPP with PPPP General Secretary Nayyar Hussain Bokhari saying the party leader’s remarks did not reflect the party’s policy.
Besides, the prospect of PTI’s ban has also been criticized by Pakistan’s recently launched Awam representative Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister and senior PMl-N leader.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the US State Department have also expressed concern over the move by Prime Minister Shehbaz’s government to ban the former ruling party as well.
