The Pakistan government will ban jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party for its alleged involvement in anti-state activities, it was announced on Monday.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced that the federal government has decided to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleging that the former ruling party was involved in anti-state activities, The News International reported.
"The decisions were taken in light of the former ruling party's involvement in the May 9 events and the PTI's former or current leaders' attempts to sabotage Pakistan's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), " said Pakistan's Information Minister Tarar, reported Pak media.
Khan, 71, has been lodged at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on account of multiple cases against him. Tarar further disclosed that the government intends to file a review petition with the Supreme Court of Pakistan challenging its recent ruling. Last week, the court had ruled in favour of PTI's eligibility for reserved seats for women and minorities, Dawn reported.
Responding to the news conference by Tarar, Naeem Haider Panjutha, Spokesperson for Imran Khan on Legal Affairs said that the Government had no right to ban the PTI.
"Those who are talking about banning PTI, you are going to dig your own grave, you have already been rejected by people because of your cruelty. Legally, only the Supreme Court has issued an order under Article 17 (2) of the Constitution of Pakistan. Our party is against the policies of a few people, not against the country, Imran Khan is in jail today for the independence and strength of Pakistan. And to say that we are the country. This is shameless arrogance which has nothing to do with reality," he posted on Twitter.
In its official response, the Pak Tehreek e Insaaf said that the puppet government of Pakistan is daydreaming of banning the PTI.
"General Asim Munir and his puppet government's mood is increasing after the process of returning the public mandate of Tehreek-e-Insaaf, which was given on February 8, after which they started daydreaming about banning Tehreek-e-Insaaf. General Asim Munir, take care and do not shake the foundations of Pakistan by playing with the constitution any more. No patriot can think of banning the largest and most popular party in Pakistan, doing so is tantamount to shaking the foundations of Pakistan and sending the country towards civil war. Learn from the Hamudur Rehman Commission report and stop playing with fire The nation will not bear the loss of the country to satisfy your ego," the PTI said in a post on X.