Anwesha Dash, Pune
As per the announcement of the Information minister of Pakistan, Attaullah Tarar, jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will be banned by the federal government, ensuring that the erstwhile leader does not return to power in the country for the foreseeable future.
Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were arrested on May 9, 2023 on corruption charges. After that a slew of charges were put on the leader even after the arrest, such as – inciting riots, unlawful marriage, falsely accusing Pakistani military forces and sabotaging IMF deals.
Given all these accusations on the erstwhile PM and his wife, the information minister stated, “PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist”. Thus, a motion has been filed in Pakistan Supreme Court by the federal government to seek a judicial ban on PTI on allegations of anti-state and anti-military activities.
As per sources, Pakistan intelligentsia, ISI, and its military has given clearance to ban the party. Given Imran Khan’s contentious relation with the army during his tenure, there is a plausibility to the above mentioned claim. In fact, the army and Khan have been at warring points since 2022, when the leader accused a senior army personnel of plotting to assassinate him. Apart from the gun attack on him, Khan also alleged that the same personnel had a hand in the controversial and infamous killing of a Pakistani journalist.
Though the opposition and army are accused by the public and Khan’s supporters of working together to make sure the former PM does not return to power, the country’s judiciary has recently given rulings in favour of the leader.
Out of the 150 legal cases going on against Imran Khan, one of the most controversial was the charge levied on him and his third wife, Bushra Bibi for unlawful marriage. The Pakistan SC had recently acquitted him and his wife from this charge which as per sources upset the army. Khan’s PTI was also granted more seats in parliament by the top court.
Hence, given these recent reliefs granted to Imran Khan by the SC, the politician alleges that plotting is afoot by opposing forces to make sure that he does not return to power again.