The government has announced its decision to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and intends to submit a petition to the Supreme Court. This was stated by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar during a press conference on Monday. He emphasized that for the country to progress, PTI and Pakistan could not coexist.
Tarar mentioned that the government will seek a ban on PTI based on the evidence presented, citing the foreign funding case, the alleged US cipher incident, the disruption of the previous IMF program, and an anti-Pakistan resolution in Congress as key factors.
He asserted that under Article 17 of the Constitution, the government has the authority to ban political parties, arguing that the PTI’s actions, particularly in relation to the IMF deal, warrant such a ban. “No more,” he declared, while also announcing plans to file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s decision on reserved seats.
The minister claimed that the Supreme Court provided relief to PTI that was not requested. He stated that the government will challenge this decision, particularly for the women whose rights were affected. Tarar questioned the authority of the parliament in interpreting and amending the Constitution and promised that the government would present strong constitutional arguments in the review.
He further alleged that the PTI had engaged in illegal funding, noting that the foreign funding case had been pending for six years and included Indian contributions. Additionally, he mentioned that the former PTI government dissolved the National Assembly unlawfully, leading to plans for a reference under Article 6 against former president Arif Alvi, former prime minister Imran Khan, and former deputy speaker Qasim Suri.
“This reference will be sent to the Supreme Court after federal cabinet approval,” he concluded.
