Pakistan’s government recently announced plans to ban the party of the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, known as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (P.T.I.). This decision is expected to intensify the political upheaval that has gripped the country for the past two years.
The country’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, stated that the government is taking action against P.T.I. due to activities that have posed a direct threat to the nation’s unity and integrity.
Analysts view this move as a sign of the government’s increasing desperation. The government has been struggling to establish its authority following allegations of electoral manipulation by the powerful military during this year’s elections, which were seen as unfair to the widely supported P.T.I.
Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Asad Iqbal Butt, expressed concerns that the ban on P.T.I., if enforced, would lead to further polarization, political chaos, and potential violence.
The government’s decision to outlaw P.T.I. comes shortly after the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted the party 23 unelected seats in Parliament designated for women and minorities. This ruling diminished the ruling coalition’s parliamentary majority, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, further weakening the already fragile government that lacks significant public backing.
P.T.I., despite facing crackdowns on its candidates and supporters, emerged as a dominant political force after Imran Khan’s fallout with the military and subsequent ousting through a vote of no confidence in 2022.
