Imran Khan’s PTI line: Pakistan’s political crisis is not going to end any time soon, but it is about to get further in turmoil as the Shehbaz Sharif government is about to launch its final attack on Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI). In the latest development, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that the government is considering a possible ban on the PTI following attacks by its supporters on military installations following the former prime minister’s arrest. The government and Imran Khan have been at loggerheads ever since the PTI chief was arrested and later released following the intervention of the Supreme Court.
what happened on may 9
Violent protests erupted after the arrest of 70-year-old Khan by paramilitary Rangers on 9 May. His party workers vandalized a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander House, the Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The army headquarters in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time. Police 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.
“The decision (to ban PTI) has not been taken yet, but it is definitely being reviewed,” he told reporters.
However, he added that if the government ultimately decides to ban the former ruling party, the matter will be sent to Parliament for approval.
The minister said that the former prime minister used to consider the army as his adversary. Asif said, “His (Khan’s) entire politics was done in the army’s lap and today he has suddenly decided to stand against it.”
The minister said that the leaders who left Khan’s party are also saying the same thing. He said, ‘What I am saying is what all those who left PTI are saying.’ “He has said that everything went according to plan. In fact, they were facilitated. He also criticized Khan for not condemning the attacks on military facilities.
“Till now, he (Imran) has not condemned [the violence] In plain words. he says he didn’t know, he was [in custody], he had his phone […] He reiterated that this reaction was expected and would happen again if he is arrested,” Asif said.
Asif claimed that the sabotage of military installations across the country on 9 May were “coordinated attacks” planned by Khan.
“There is a lot of evidence and his people themselves are saying that they were briefed about it in advance,” he said.
“I think his one year struggle… all his plans failed and this was his last step against the armed forces.”
The minister said that Khan’s party had challenged the foundation of the state on 9 May by “challenging the defense establishments”.
“Is there any crime which was not committed on 9th May? The ISI office was attacked, they tried to enter the cantonment in Sialkot but that attack was foiled… They spoke to the Lahore Corps Commander. The house was also set on fire,” he claimed.
However, PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar said the party would challenge the ban 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 set aside by the then Chief Justice Alvin Robert Cornelius.
Zafar said, “There was an attempt to ban Jamaat-e-Islami long ago. The Supreme Court had said that you cannot ban a political party and it is everyone’s right to form a political party.”
He further said that the sabotage was an individual act and “a political party cannot be banned”.
The defense minister also said that the coalition government would take every step to prevent such targeting of the armed forces in future. He also said that May 25 will be celebrated to pay homage to the martyred soldiers of the country.
Khan’s party said that he will address the nation at 7 pm today. Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan. was part of.
(With PTI inputs)