No consensus yet on ban on Tehreek-e-Insaaf yet, says Pakistan PM aide
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Advisor on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah said that there is no unanimous opinion among cabinet members regarding the ban on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Geo News reported.
The politician’s statement came after the Balochistan Assembly sought a ban on the Imran Khan-led party through a resolution on Thursday following the recent “violence” in its protest march on November 26, as per Geo News.
“Once again, it [the former ruling party] is carrying out violent actions,” the resolution stated, adding that the PTI’s “anarchist agenda” has affected the country’s system and every sector, including the judiciary, media and the economy.
“This matter (the PTI ban) came before the federal cabinet yesterday. The cabinet members discussed the issue but no consensus could be evolved,” Geo News quoted Sanaullah as saying. “Opinions were divided on the issue. However, the members decided to further deliberate on the matter.”
Sanaullah said that the Balochistan Assembly expressed its opinion on the proposal of PTI’s ban.
Geo News reported that a resolution seeking PTI’s ban was submitted to Punjab Assembly’s Secretariat.
Senior PTI leader Raoof Hasan responded to ongoing speculation about a possible ban on the party, asserting that such a move “is not as simple as it seems”. He also told Geo News that if any action is initiated to impose a ban, the party would take legal course to contest the decision.
“There is an opinion that governor’s rule could be imposed in the PTI-ruled province, as the Constitution provides a mechanism for it,” he said. “However, the current situation does not warrant such a measure,” he said because the governor’s rule has both political and constitutional challenges.
Sanaullah, while commenting on PTI’s recent protest, said that the protesters were armed and were not coming to Islamabad for ‘peaceful demonstration’.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf described Pakistani forces’ action against PTI protesters as a “massacre … under the brutal, fascist military regime.”
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party’s protests, demanding the release of its leader Imran Khan, took a violent turn on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of four security personnel and two PTI supporters, the Dawn reported.
(ANI)