Pakistan government to ban jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party for alleged anti-state activities
Islamabad, July 15
Upping the ante against Imran Khan, the Pakistan government on Monday said it has decided to ban his party on charges of illegally receiving foreign funds, involvement in nationwide riots and its alleged involvement in “anti-state” activities that will attract treason charges against the jailed former prime minister.
Announcing this, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar highlighted the activities of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its leadership to weaken the sovereignty of the country and harm its integrity at the international level.
“PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist,” Tarar told during press conference here, saying that the matter would go to the Cabinet and the Supreme Court.
He said the government has decided to ban PTI, file a review petition in reserved seats case, and file cases against the PTI founder, former president Arif Alvi and ex-National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri for subverting the Constitution. He said strict legal action would be taken against a handful of overseas Pakistanis for anti-state activities.
The minister alleged that PTI has long been involved in anti-state activities, saying the constitution empowers the federal government to seek a ban on such a party by sending the case to the Supreme Court.
He said that the government would be justified in banning PTI over its alleged involvement in matters ranging from obtaining prohibited funding to sabotaging the IMF deal and from resettling the Taliban in Pakistan to the May 9 riots. He said that the prohibited funding proceedings were continuously being stayed for the last six years.
“In view of the foreign funding case, May 9 riots, and the cipher episode as well as the resolution passed in the US, we believe that there is very credible evidence present to have Khan’s party, PTI, banned,” he said.
He said a series of events that set off in the form of a chain, gave a clear understanding of the anti-state agenda of PTI which first brought terrorists back into the country and then attacked the state institutions to undermine its sovereignty.
Khan, 71, has been lodged at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi on account of multiple cases against him since his ouster as prime minister in April 2022.
The federal government has decided to ban the former ruling party as well as file cases against PTI founder Khan and former Pakistan president Alvi for treason under Article 6.
“Our patience and tolerance are considered as our weaknesses. PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist as the government is trying to stabilise the country politically and economically, while efforts are being made to thwart its efforts,” Tarar said.
Tarar also announced that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government and its coalition partners have decided to file a review appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court granting reserved seats to PTI in the national assembly.
“The apex court gave relief to PTI which had not even asked for it,” the minister said.
The decisions were taken in light of the former ruling party’s involvement in the May 9 events last year and PTI’s former or current leaders’ attempts to sabotage Pakistan’s deal with the IMF.
