Pakistan government to seek ban of ex-PM Khan’s party

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government will seek to ban the political party of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan, the information minister said Monday, days after a series of court decisions that favoured the former leader.

Khan was jailed in the run-up to a February election, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was targeted by a crackdown analysts say was a result of his defiance against the country’s powerful military.

An alliance of parties considered close to the military came to power after the polls — marred by allegations of rigging — but crucial court decisions last week ruled in Khan’s favour.

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

“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.

“We will vigorously defend this case and spare no effort to contest it,” he added.

A spokesperson for the PTI told AFP that the party “will not tolerate” the government’s effort to ban it.

“PTI has become stronger than before. We will face it,” Raoof Hasan said.

In a landmark ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court granted the PTI more parliamentary seats, after party members were forced to run as independents in the February 8 election.

Khan’s conviction for illegal marriage — which carried a seven-year sentence — was then overturned by an Islamabad court on Saturday but he remains jailed over other cases.

A UN panel of experts found this month that Khan’s detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office”.

The “prosecution was not grounded in law and was reportedly instrumentalised for a political purpose,” it said, calling for his immediate release after nearly a year in jail.

Khan served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, when he was ousted after falling out with the military establishment, which wields huge influence over civilian politics.

He waged a campaign of defiance against the generals, who directly ruled Pakistan for decades, accusing them of being behind an assassination attempt that wounded him.

Khan was banned from running in the February election due to a graft conviction.

Despite the setbacks, candidates loyal to PTI secured more seats than any other party, but were kept from power by the alliance pact.

-AFP