Govt mulling ban on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, says Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister and senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has announced that the government is mulling to ban former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) following planned and coordinated violent attacks carried out on the military installations on May 9, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Talking to newsmen in Islamabad on Wednesday, Khawaja Asif, however, said that no such decision has yet been taken but it is under consideration.

Khawaja Asif said although the decision to ban Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had not been taken as yet, but it was on the cards. 

He alleged that the crimes committed on May 9 were pre-planned. “Which crime PTI workers did not commit on that day,” Asif said, adding, “PTI carried out attacks on state assets on May 9.”

He went on to say that attacks on army and government buildings were PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s last ploy. “Imran considers Pakistan Army his enemy,” the minister said, and claimed that preparations for the acts of violence witnessed on that day had been underway for the last one year.

He said that some PTI leaders confessed that what had happened on May 9 had been planned beforehand. “There were jubilations all over India following incidents of vandalism and arson,” he recalled. 

He was of the view that Imran thought he was a genius and others were fools. “PTI gambled on that day, which proved to be counterproductive,” the minister added. 

He said the parliament will also be taken into confidence if the government arrives at a final decision. "The idea of placing a ban on the PTI would be discussed in parliament," he added.

“Banning the party will be the consensus decision of all parties, part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM),” he elaborated. 

The minister said those parting ways with the PTI themselves are disclosing that May 9 violent acts were pre-planned. He said there is no precedence of the acts that took place on the May 9 as these amounted to challenging the state.

Kh Asif said the armed forces have legitimate reservations on the violent attacks on military installations and the memorials. He said every step will be taken to ensure that the armed forces are not targeted by anybody for political purposes in future.

When asked about whether there is any pressure on the government to send Imran Khan in exile, the defence minister said it is our internal issue and there is no pressure from any quarter.

He said that Nawaz Sharif has a clear stance regarding all these incidents. He said that when Nawaz Sharif returns, he will present his stance in front of the nation.

The move comes amid political instability in the nuclear-armed nation caused by Imran's arrest on May 9 on corruption charges, before he was released on bail on court orders.

The embattled PTI chairman, who says corruption charges have been concocted, is embroiled in a confrontation with the present government and state institutions.

"It is under consideration to ban PTI," Khawaja Asif told reporters. "The PTI has attacked the very basis of the state, that never happened before. It can't be tolerated".

Imran's arrest sparked deadly protests across the country, with Army installations being attacked and state buildings set ablaze.

Rioters now face trials in military courts, while PTI leaders face repeated arrests and raids at their residences.

Moreover, in a confusing political situation marked by arrests, releases, and rearrests, the PTI leaders are seemingly caught in a revolving door as they continue to quit the party and politics, leaving people and pundits constantly perplexed.

It seems their spirits are being broken by a relentless cycle of arrests and rearrests from prison gates. It took five rearrests for senior PTI leader Dr Shireen Mazari to abandon her resilient spirit and leave the political stage on Tuesday evening.

The other significant departure from the PTI was former Punjab information minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, who announced his resignation from the party in an explosive news conference on the same day.

"Our party has been facing a crackdown really for one year," said Imran, in an earlier interview with AFP. "I was removed from power through this conspiracy by the ex-army chief."

The former premier said the violence following was a "conspiracy" staged to justify the repression of his party.

More than 7,000 people were detained as the unrest broke out and at least 19 senior PTI officials were arrested, some in overnight raids on their homes, accused of instigating violence.

With inputs from AFP.