Islamabad: The Pakistani government’s move to contemplate a ban on Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf drew flak from political parties all across the spectrum, with several leaders slamming the idea and saying that the move is undemocratic and will have far-fetched implications if executed.
Leaders from other political parties besides PTI, like- PPP, Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, and Jamaat-i-Islami criticized the decision.
The PTI said in a press conference that the move is the result of “embarrassment” faced by the ruling party after the Supreme Court decision that granted reserved seats to the PTI, which caused it to win a two-thirds majority in the parliament.
Opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan, with the support of party chairperson Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other party leaders, said that the government was trying to scare 240 million people of Pakistan through such tactics of intimidation, coercion and harassment, but PTI will not be scared.
They vowed that they had fought and would continue to battle the elements “hell-bent on plunging the country into the quagmire of destruction and anarchy” by giving their wish the status of the law. They said that it is impossible to crush the most popular party and nothing positive can come out of such an act.
The Pakistan People’s Party disowned the move and said 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,” said Khursheed Shah of PPP.
Another PPP senator, Farhatullah Babar also condemned the move. In a post on X, he said, “Talk of banning a political party or trial of a political leader for treason is rubbish. Unsustainable. Compounding political crisis. US democracy will sustain its current crisis. Pakistani democracy, indeed state itself, is unlikely to sustain a self-imposed crisis. Be warned.” Ex-PPP senator, Mian Raza Rabbani, in a statement, said that banning a political party by the government was against democracy and urged the government to refrain from taking such a step. (ANI)
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