The government is considering a ban. An Asif Party attorney told PTI that the Supreme Court would rule against the proposal.
ISLAMABAD:
On Wednesday, the defence minister announced that the government is considering banning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for targeting the state.
The former prime minister is at the centre of the most heated confrontation yet between civilian lawmakers and Pakistan’s powerful military, which has either ruled the country directly or monitored governments for decades.
As the nuclear-armed country struggles through its worst economic crisis in decades, the face-off has sparked huge protests and growing worries about its stability.
The PTI’s attack on the “very basis of state” cannot be supported, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters. He stated, “It is under consideration to ban PTI,” adding that the prohibition would require parliamentary permission.
Senator Barrister Ali Zafar, however, has promised to contest any such action in court. He said that one person’s actions should not be used to condemn a whole political party.
Jamaat-e-Islami has been the target of attempted bans in the past. Previous Supreme Court decisions have established a precedent that the government cannot outright prohibit any political party.
The PTI senator elaborated, saying that different laws address a party that resorts to violence and incites hate in different ways. A senator from PTI has declared that if his party is banned, he is confident that the Supreme Court will overturn the ban the following day.
Zafar bemoaned that despite posting bail, his party’s officials were re-arrested, adding that “nobody is following” the law in the country. This is anarchy. The court will take note of our petition challenging this,” he continued.
