Veengas 
Karachi: The ruling government in Pakistan has decided to impose a ban on Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf or PTI, which is in the opposition.
Information minister Atta Tarar, leader for Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN), said at his press conference this week that for the country to progress, it must do away with PTI’s presence.
Tarar indicated that considering the foreign funding case, the May 9 riots, the cipher case, and the resolution passed in the United States, the government had substantial evidence to warrant a ban on the PTI. He added that his government was planning to impose this ban, asserting that Article 17 of the Pakistan constitution accorded the government with authority to ban political parties.
Tarar said that the government would file a reference against Arif Alvi, Imran Khan, and Qasim Suri for high treason under Article 6 of the Pakistan constitution. He explained that this was due to their dissolution of assemblies in April 2022, despite a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan in parliament.
The Pakistan government’s decision came after Pakistan Supreme Court’s rulings, which provided relief to Imran Khan in the Idat case and declared that PTI is eligible for women’s reserved seats and minority seats. This was a setback for the ruling government, as well as the military establishment.
The PTI ban topic has led to a somewhat mixed reaction among those in the ruling coalition government. The PMLN stated that it had not finalised a decision. The Pakistan People’s Party did not air its views on it openly, although its Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari reportedly showed support to the federal cabinet’s decision. Meanwhile, the Sindh provincial government’s chief minister Murad Ali Shah denounced it.
Asma Shirazi, a prominent senior journalist who has often come in the way of PTI supporters’ trolling and online anger, said that she does not believe that the government plans to ban PTI. “The primary pressure is coming from military establishment, which wants PTI to be banned,” says Asma.
Also read: Hell Hath No Fury Like the Pakistan Army Scorned
‘A ban is not a solution’
Former member of the Senate of Pakistan and eminent columnist, Afrasiab Khattak, said that the government’s decision to ban PTI, announced by the minister, reflected the intolerant nature of the “hybrid-plus regime”. He suggested that it seemed more like a bluff than a serious response to the Supreme Court ruling on special seats. He noted that this action has further damaged the credibility of a government already accused of election rigging.
Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide and adviser on international affairs and media for PTI said to The Wire that he believed that the issue was not just about banning the largest political party in Pakistan, but the overall democratic fabric of the country. He stated that the PTI expected parties like PPP and others, who always claim to be flag bearers of democracy, to come forward and take a stance.
Zulfi warned that if it was happening to PTI today, it could happen to the other parties tomorrow.
Asma wondered why after the May 9 outburst, a ban was not imposed on party at that time, and questioned why it was being considered now. She said she has always viewed PTI not as a political party but as “a pressure group.”
She emphasised that it was the PTI’s leadership, and especially Imran Khan, who have continuously been attacking the current Army Chief General Asim Munir for the actions of the former Army Chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa.. “The decision to ban PTI is undemocratic but it is under discussion because of PTI’s undemocratic attitude,” she added.
On the other hand, Lal Chand Malhi, central president of the PTI’s minority cell and former National Assembly member said that following the Supreme Court’s decision, the government has found it difficult to hold on to its two-third majority.
“The government is afraid of free speech and has imposed ban on social media networkers. Now, as they are losing their grip and banning us,” Lal said.
“This is against Pakistani constitution which was established by the late former Prime Minister Zulifkar Ali Bhutto. Now, PPP, especially Bilawal Bhutto is against his grandfather’s constitution,” he said.
Lal denied all allegations levelled against PPP by the government and said that after the May 9 incident or the cipher cases, the people of Pakistan chose PTI. If PMLN and PPP believed in the people’s court, then we would be free from all allegation, he stated.
Columnist Afrasiab Khattak, quoted earlier in the piece, said that banning political parties couldn’t eliminate political movements. A good example of this is the National Awami Party (NAP), which was banned twice: first, by a military dictator in June 1971 and later by a civilian government in February 1975. Despite these bans, the party survived and continued working under a new name. “Banning political parties reflects a colonist mindset,” he said.
Journalist Asma also reminded that Musharraf had imposed a ban on PPP, which then reemerged under the new name Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP). She pointed out that MQM-Altaf had also been banned, but it continued under the new name MQM-Pakistan. She concluded that no ban could diminish a political party.
She said, “A ban is not a solution. The only solution is a political solution.”