Pakistani government seeks to ban former PM Imran Khan’s party | Imran Khan

The Pakistani government is seeking to ban the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

The move comes days after a Supreme Court ruling made Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) the largest party in the country’s parliament.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the government would also go to court to bring treason charges against Khan, who was removed from power in a no-confidence vote in 2022 and drew large crowds of supporters onto the streets before his arrest and jailing in August 2023.

Tarar said the decision to ban the PTI was due to Khan’s supporters targeting military installations in violence following his arrest on corruption charges in May last year and over allegations of foreign funding.

Despite a severe crackdown, millions of people voted for the PTI in February’s elections and the party, which was forced to field independent candidates, claimed victory amid allegations of massive electoral fraud in favour of the ruling government. Protests erupted across the country days after the elections.

The Supreme Court ruled last week that the PTI was a political party and entitled to 20 additional seats following a post-election dispute over its candidates running as independents. The ruling granted PTI members reserved seats for women and minorities.

Key cases against Khan have been stayed, including a conviction for illegal marriage that carried a seven-year prison sentence but was overturned by an Islamabad court on Saturday.

Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, a close adviser and advisor on international affairs and media, said: “This is a move towards soft martial law. It is a sign of panic because they have understood that the courts cannot be threatened and put under pressure.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), a local NGO, said the ban on PTI was unconstitutional. “It is also a major blow to democratic norms, especially when the Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that PTI is a political party,” the HRCP said in a statement.

The PTI has faced a severe crackdown since last year, with its leaders harassed and arrested ahead of general elections and the military forcing Khan’s close aides out of the party.

PTI lawmaker Sheikh Waqas Akram said the government’s mood had changed since last week’s ruling. “The government is frustrated with the recent Supreme Court ruling as the PTI has become the largest party in parliament,” he said. “They (the government) are leading the country towards anarchy. We have been saying since the February elections that this is not a legitimate government. The court ruling has proven it.”