Govt seeks to ‘bury resurrected’ PTI

Days after the Supreme Court declared PTI a parliamentary party, paving the way for it to become the largest party in the National Assembly in terms of numerical strength, a spokesperson for the PML-N-led coalition government said that they are planning to outlaw the former governing party and try its founder for treason.

“The federal government will file a case seeking to ban the PTI,” Information Minister Ataullah Tarar announced at a news conference at the PTV headquarters on Monday. He further stated that the government will seek to initiate high treason proceedings against former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-president Dr Arif Alvi and former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri.

Last week, the Supreme Court with a majority of 8-5 declared that the PTI was entitled to the reserved seats for women and minorities in the national and provincial assemblies. The federal government had expressed reservations to the ruling. “The government and its coalition partners have decided to file a review against the [SC] decision,” he said.

The information minister announced that the ruling coalition had decided to take strict legal action against those “campaigning from abroad”, as well as those involved in conspiracies against Pakistan. He added that the government would take action against all those trying to push the country towards brink of default by sabotaging the new IMF bailout program.

The government spokesperson also announced that the government would take necessary legal action against the then PTI leadership for using the cipher – a diplomatic cable – for personal and political interests.

The minister alleged that the PTI had long been involved in anti-state activities, saying that the Constitution empowered the federal government to seek a ban on such a party by sending a reference to the Supreme Court.

He reiterated that the government would be justified in banning the PTI for its alleged involvement in matters, ranging from obtaining prohibited funding to sabotaging the previous IMF deal and from resettling Taliban in Pakistan to May 9 riots.

“A reference pertaining to [invoking] Article 6 [the constitutional provision about high treason] against then president Arif Alvi, then prime minister Imran Khan Niazi and then deputy speaker Qasim Suri will be sent to the Supreme Court,” he said.

The reference, the minister said, would be sent over the dissolution of the National Assembly in 2022, when Suri “unconstitutionally dismissed” the no-confidence motion against then prime minister. It would be sent after federal cabinet’s approval, he added.

Tarar recalled that writing a letter to the IMF was part of PTI’s anti-state agenda, but promised that the government would not allow anyone to play with the country. “If the country is to be taken forward, the evil elements must be banned,” he said.

He also alleged that it was the PTI, which attacked the state institutions on May 9 last year, following Imran’s arrest over corruption charges. “The national defence was attacked in personal interests on May 9.”

Tarar further alleged that the entire family of the PTI founder was involved in May 9 attacks. Imran’s three sisters were present outside the Corps Commander House when the other PTI leaders were allegedly inciting people, he continued. “PTI founder promoted politics of anarchy and violence.”

The government spokesperson also blamed the PTI government from August 2018-April 2022 for bringing back the Taliban to Pakistan. He charged that shelter was given to “terrorists” which practically ended the anti-terrorist National Action Plan.

Apart from this, Tarar said, the PTI created a “drama of cipher” – a reference to the diplomatic cable sent by the then Pakistani ambassador to the US about his conversation with a State Department official in Washington.

He stated that the then ambassador had said that there was no threat, yet the PTI leadership insisted that there was one – a reference to PTI’s stance that the US was behind the no-confidence motion or regime change in Pakistan.

While playing a leaked audio in the press conference, Tarar alleged that Imran was himself, saying in it that they only have to play with the cipher.

Now, he said, the PTI and its leadership were busy targeting the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman in an attempt to build pressure on the graft buster to withdraw from Toshakhana case against Imran and his spouse.

Though the government had previously planned to impose a ban on the PTI but had shelved the proposal. But now back-to-back legal victories of the PTI and Imran had pushed the government to once again go after the party and its leadership.

PML-Q

PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that the government is about to impose a ban on a political party, and a thorough review of this decision is necessary.

In a statement, Hussain warned that the government’s decision will have far-reaching consequences for national politics. “The government will have to prove in the Supreme Court that its action was justified.”

He further added that political forces bear a heavy responsibility to prioritise the country’s economy and the hardships of the common man.