Pakistan | Pakistan: Government considering banning Imran Khan’s party PTI

File Pic Islamabad. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that the government is considering imposing sanctions against Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. They said the move is being considered after Khan’s supporters attacked military installations following the arrest of the former Pakistan prime minister. It may be noted that on May 9, violent protests broke out across the country after Khan (70) was arrested by paramilitary personnel. His party workers had vandalized a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander residence, the Mianwali airbase and the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) building in Faisalabad. Pakistan is considering banning former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for attacking the state, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday: Reuters — ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2023 attacked the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Police had put the death toll in the violent clashes at 10. Talking to the media here, Asif said Khan was still reluctant to condemn the attacks on military and civilian establishments by his supporters. “If the government decides to ban the party which was ruling in the past, it will be sent to Parliament for approval,” he told reporters. The minister said that former prime minister Khan considers the army as his enemy. The minister said, “His (Khan’s) entire politics has been done with the help of the army and today he has suddenly decided to stand against it.” The Defense Minister said that the leaders who left Khan’s party also have the same opinion. He said, “Whatever I am saying, the leaders who left Khan’s party have also said the same thing. He has said that everything happened according to the strategy. He also criticized Khan for not condemning the attack on military installations. Asif said, “So far, he (Khan) has not condemned (the violence) in clear words. He says he was not aware of this, he was in custody. He had his phone, reiterated that this backlash was expected and that it would happen again if he was arrested.” Also read Asif claimed that the May 9 sabotage of military installations across the country was a coordinated attack, which was hatched by Khan. However, Khan’s party leader Barrister Ali Zafar said the ban would be challenged in court as a political party cannot be banned. He told the media that when Jamaat-e-Islami was banned in the 1960s, it was overturned by the then Chief Justice Alwyn Robert Cornelius. Meanwhile, Khan’s party said the former prime minister would address the nation at 7 pm today. (agency)