Islamabad: Pakistan government's decision to outrightly ban jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over alleged anti-state activities has attracted intense criticism from all corners of the political spectrum, with several parties calling the move 'undemocratic' and 'foolish' which could have far-reaching consequences if executed.
Political persecution in Pakistan reached a new high when Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced the government's ban to ban the PTI and that Imran Khan, former President Arif Alvi and ex-National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri would be charged with treason. Notably, Imran Khan was arrested again in a May 9 riots-related case after securing an acquittal in the illegal marriage case, what was supposed to be the last case keeping him in jail.
“In view of the foreign funding case, May 9 riots, and the cipher episode as well as the resolution passed in the US, we believe that there is very credible evidence present to have Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) banned,” said Tarar, adding that "PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist". This came after the PTI became the largest party in the Parliament after a Supreme Court ruling on reserved seats went in their favour.
The PTI, reeling under a military-backed crackdown that saw it barred from the February 8 elections, was deemed eligible for over 20 reserved seats in the National Assembly by the Supreme Court. The move to ban the party also came as PTI founder Imran Khan and other leaders are being tried under multiple cases.
How political parties reacted to this unexpected move?
Imran's party reacted sharply to the government's decision to ban the party, saying the move came “out of desperation” and was a “sign of panic" within the federal administration. "Reasons cited by the information minister are the cipher case and the US Congressional Resolution on electoral rigging and politically motivated cases with no merit in sight. The PML-N is shooting its own foot for these reasons,” the PTI said in a statement.
Several political parties joined the PTI in strongly condemning the ruling coalition's potential move, terming it "childish" and "unconstitutional". Members of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) - part of the coalition - along with those from Awami National Party (ANP), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and Jamaat-i-Islami, criticised the decision.
"Restrictions on the political parties and political process are not acceptable at any cost... Despite the political difference with the PTI, we believe the government's move would be a folly," said an ANP spokesperson. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah raised multiple questions over the move while party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded the all-powerful military stay out of politics, Geo News reported.
Awam Pakistan's Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a former PML-N leader voiced outright condemnation of the ruling coalition, saying they cannot undertake it as they have not studied the Constitution and the law and will end up facing treason charges themselves. Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz also declared the press conference by the government minister as 'ridiculous'.
'Not consulted': PPP distances itself from government's move
Meanwhile, the Bilawal Bhutto-led PPP distanced itself from the potential ban on the PTI, saying its leadership was not taken on board regarding the decision. “We have heard it just like others. We should do politics only because such decisions don’t address issues. Let us see what the court decides, but I will stand along with my party and its policy,” Dawn quoted PPP stalwart Khursheed Shah as saying.
Former PPP Senator Raza Rabbani remarked that the talk of banning a political party by the government was against all norms of democracy and urged the government to refrain from taking such a step. "Since the country is already facing grave economic and political instability, such a step will add political chaos and bog down the economy," he said.
Another party stalwart Farhatullah Babar called it an 'absurd' decision, saying, "It is also absurdity to talk about launching a treason case against a political leader." He further said the move to ban the PTI will compound Pakistan's political crisis that it will fail to sustain. "Democracy and the state will not be able to last longer in a critical situation created by the government," he added.
US reacts to Pakistan government's move
Even the United States weighed in on the matter, expressing concern over the government's move to ban the jailed former prime minister's party and emphasising that Washington would continue to “monitor these decisions and further decisions" by courts. "Certainly banning a political concern is something -- or a political party is something that would be of great concern to us," said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday.
Miller further said the US supported “the peaceful upholding of constitutional and democratic principles, including respect for human rights and freedom of expression”. On the other hand, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed shock over the government’s decision to ban the PTI.
"Not only is this move in flagrant violation of party members’ right to association under Article 17 of the Constitution, but it is also an enormous blow to democratic norms, especially when the Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the PTI is a political party," said HRCP chairperson Iqbal Butt, adding that the move "reeks of political desperation".
Tarar also announced that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led government and its coalition partners have decided to file a review appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court granting reserved seats to the PTI in the National Assembly. "Our patience and tolerance are considered as our weaknesses. The PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist as the government is trying to stabilise the country politically and economically, while efforts are being made to thwart its efforts,” Tarar said on Monday.
(with inputs from agency)
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