‘Cannot co-exist’: Pakistan govt announces move to ban ex-PM Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party

The Pakistan government has said that it is seeking to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, announced on Monday, days after the country’s Supreme Court granted Tehreek-e-Insaf reserved seats in Parliament,

In a landmark ruling last week, the Supreme Court granted Imran Khan’s PTI reserved seats in the Pakistan Parliament. Further, another local court also overturned the verdict on Imran Khan’s “illegal marriage or iddat case” on Saturday, July 13.

“The federal government will move a case to ban the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf),” Attaullah Tarar told reporters in Islamabad, saying the case would be taken to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

“We believe that there is credible evidence that PTI should be banned,” he said, citing allegations against Khan, including leaking state secrets and inciting riots.

According to Geo News, Tarar told reporters in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, that “PTI and Pakistan cannot coexist.” The report also said the Pakistan government will file references against PTI founder Imran Khan and former president Arif Alvi for treason under Article 6.

May 9 Nation-wide Protests

Pakistan information minister Attaullah Tarar also informed that the Pakistan government has decided to ban PTI owing to the ruling party’s involvement in the May 9 events.

On May 9 protests were held across Pakistan following the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Prime Minister of the country, Imran Khan, from the grounds of the Islamabad High Court without an arrest warrant. 

Imran Khan, 71, has been lodged at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for nearly a year over several court cases he says were orchestrated to prevent his return to power in the February elections.