Islamabad: The government is ready to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI), a party led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Information and Communications Minister Attullah Tarar has announced that it has been decided to ban PTI and take action against its founder Imran Khan, former President Arif Alvi and former National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on charges of sedition.
The minister announced the government’s decision in a press conference. Imran Khan’s Pak Tehreek-e-Insaf Party is also the single largest party in the National Assembly.
The Pakistan government’s stand is that the ban is in the context of credible evidence of PTI’s role in the May 9 riots, the foreign funding case, the resolution passed by the United States, etc.
In the general elections held on February 8, the PTI won the most seats, but the Election Commission had declared that the independents who had won the 70 reserved seats reserved for political parties were ineligible. But the Supreme Court ruled that the winners of the 23 seats reserved for women and minorities by Imran Khan’s party are eligible. The decision of the Pakistan Muslim League-led government came days after this order.
The move was seen as the Supreme Court’s order paving the way for the PTI to become a single party in the National Assembly. If that happens, the ruling coalition is likely to lose its two-thirds majority. The explanation is that there is enough evidence against Imran’s party to take action.
