IN a dramatic move, the government, on Monday, declared its intention to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a party and move a reference for the purpose to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Announcing this at a news conference, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the government will also seek Article 6 proceedings against its founder Imran Khan, ex-president Dr Arif Alvi and former National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri. Giving rationale for the decision, he said in view of the foreign funding case, May 9 riots and the cipher episode as well as the resolution passed in the US, the government believes that there is very credible evidence present to have the PTI banned, adding the country and the PTI cannot co-exist.
The remarks made by the Information Minister suggested that the government was collecting evidence and preparing grounds for a reference for a long time but timing of the move raises several questions. The development comes immediately after the Supreme Court judgement in the reserved seats case, which has virtually revived the PTI as a political and parliamentary entity, paving the way for it to become the largest party in the national parliament, posing significant challenges to the government, which is already facing issues with its allies, especially the PPP that keeps on making fresh and intense demands every now and then. Some political leaders and analysts also argue that the government’s decision is a tactic to divert attention of the people, who are now coming on roads and streets to protest against rising prices of commodities and unbearable burden of electricity bills, especially in the backdrop of the new federal budget and another bailout package agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which would increase economic difficulties of the people further. There are also indications that the government has not consulted its coalition partners and allies on the move as is evident from the sharp reaction they gave to the announcement. Senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and member of the Senate Standing Committee (SCC), Senator Raza Rabbani, along with other party leaders, strongly criticized the government’s decision to impose restrictions on PTI stating that such actions would lead to political chaos and economic devastation. The position of coalition partners would, however, become clear when the issue is brought before the cabinet for consideration and a decision. The PTI also reacted sharply to the move with some of its leaders claiming that such recourse could shake the very foundations of the country. The PTI, however, has nothing to worry in immediate terms as the issue would be taken up first by the cabinet and then the Supreme Court has a final say in the matter. Some commentators believe that given the kind of relief that the party received from the judiciary in different cases, it is unlikely that the apex court will affix a stamp on the government’s decision to eliminate the party from the political landscape of the country unless the government makes a strong case with undeniable evidence to support its decision. Otherwise too, different cases including cipher and foreign funding showed lack of actionable evidence and therefore, the move to ban the party could backfire. There was, however, a viewpoint that the then president Arif Alvi, ex-PM Imran, and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri attracted Article 6 of the Constitution for opting for dissolution of the National Assembly in April 2022 despite the fact that a motion of no-confidence was being debated by the National Assembly but the question arises why the government waited for over two years to initiate proceedings on this account. It is unlikely that the government’s latest move will produce the desired results except polluting the political environment further and stoking a fresh wave of political instability. This runs contrary to the government’s oft-repeated appeals for national unity and solidarity. However, the government seems to be frustrated with the continued negative response of the PTI for offers of dialogue to sort out issues and forge consensus on economic strategy. While the government may review its approach and avoid putting restrictions on political activities, the opposition may also review its non-cooperative posture for the sake of greater interest of the country.
