PPP will oppose any move to ban PTI: Qamar Zaman Kaira

PPP leader clarifies govt has not yet decided to ban the party, reference to be sent to court and a bench to be formed

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira announced on Wednesday that his party will oppose any decision to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Kaira stressed that political parties should only be countered through democratic means. “The political parties can only be defeated in the political arena,” he said, emphasising that even those parties embracing fascism should be dealt with democratically.

“My party [PPP] will show resistance in line with the ban on the PTI.” Kaira clarified that the government has not yet decided to ban PTI, stating, “The reference to ban the PTI will be sent to the court, and the bench will be formed.”

This sentiment was echoed by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who earlier remarked that PTI's current predicament was self-inflicted. “PPP has never supported the ban on any of the political parties,” Shah said, adding that the PPP was not consulted about the potential ban on PTI.

The issue has sparked a broader debate, with the PPP firmly advocating for democratic responses to political challenges and cautioning against the use of bans to address political disputes.