July 15, 2024
By Bilal Baseer and Rana Malhi
ISLAMABAD
In what appears to be the government’s attempt to prevent the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the largest party in the National Assembly, after the Supreme Court’s decision on granting women and non-Muslim seats, Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar announced in a press conference in Islamabad on July 15 that the government has decided to ban PTI.
He said Article 6 (charges of treason) would be moved against Imran Khan, Dr. Arif Alvi, and Qasim Suri.
Citing cases, including the foreign funding case and the May 9 case, Tarar said, “No more. Enough is enough” and “…if the country is to move in a forward direction, it cannot do so with PTI’s existence.”
He added that the reference, under Article 6, would be sent to the Supreme Court after being approved by the cabinet.
The reaction comes soon after the courts gave relief to the reserved seats case and the party chief in the Iddat case.
However, the announcement has angered political analysts and legal experts.
Reacting to Tarar’s press conference, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz said the government is trying to target Imran Khan and his party instead of addressing the actual problems of the country. “Such tactics will lead the country into more chaos and political instability,” he added.
While talking to Voicepk, senior jurist and member of the Pakistan Bar Council Syed Amjad Ali Shah said that although action can be taken under Article 6 according to the law, “it is beyond comprehension why the government would take this action after so long in power”.
Senior journalist Nasir Zaidi, while talking to Voicepk, said that banning political parties is not the solution to the problem. “In the past, restrictions on political parties have only benefited non-democratic forces.”
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has called the government’s decision unconstitutional and demanded its immediate withdrawal.