Govt mulls banning PTI: Asif

Party lawyer says SC would strike down any such move

ISLAMABAD:

The government is considering banning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for attacking the state, the defence minister said on Wednesday.

The former prime minister is embroiled in the latest, critical phase of a decades-old rivalry between civilian politicians and the powerful military, which has ruled directly or overseen governments throughout Pakistan's history.

The face-off has brought widespread protests, raising new fears about the stability of the nuclear-armed country as it struggles with its worst economic crisis in decades.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters that the PTI had attacked the "very basis of state", which could not be tolerated. "It is under consideration to ban PTI," he said, adding parliament would have to give final approval for a government decision to ban the party.

However, Senator Barrister Ali Zafar said any such move would be challenged in court. He said an entire party cannot be blamed for acts committed by individuals.

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“In the past, attempts were made to ban Jamaat-e-Islami. The Supreme Court, in its earlier rulings, has set a precedent that [the government] cannot ban any political party.”

Explaining further, the PTI senator said there are different laws that deal with a party that resorts to violence and incites hate. "If PTI is banned, then I believe the Supreme Cort will strike down that decision within a day," the PTI senator said.

Zafar added that "nobody is following" the law in the country as he lamented that despite securing bail, his party's leaders were rearrested. "This is lawlessness. We are filing a petition against this and the court will take notice," he added. 

With additional input from News Desk