Why is Imran Khan’s PTI facing a ban and what is its political future in Pakistan? Premium

Pakistan government plans to ban Imran Khan's PTI party for anti-state activities, sparking controversy and legal battles.

The story so far: Pakistan’s government, on July 15, announced its plan to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, for alleged anti-state activities. The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who lost a vote of no-confidence in 2022 and was ousted from his Prime Ministerial post, has been lodged at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since August 2023, in connection with various cases.

In a press conference, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced, “In view of the foreign funding case, the May 9 riots, and the cypher episode as well as the resolution passed in the U.S., we believe that there is very credible evidence present to have Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), banned”.

He added that the government will file cases against Mr. Khan and former Pakistan president Arif Alvi for treason under Article 6. “Our patience and tolerance are considered as our weaknesses. The PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist as the government is trying to stabilise the country politically and economically, while efforts are being made to thwart its efforts,” Mr. Tarar said. A petition will be filed for the same in Pakistan’s apex court, he added.

The surprising move comes mere days after a 13-judge bench of the country’s Supreme Court ruled that PTI was eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities in the national and provincial assemblies. PTI had approached the apex court after the Peshwar High Court and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disallowed PTI-backed candidates who had won these reserved seats in the elections held in February.

The PTI, which had been stripped off its iconic ‘bat’ electoral symbol by the ECP, fielded its candidates as independents in the national elections in February. Of the 272 seats in direct contest, PTI-backed Independents won 92 seats, emerging as the largest bloc, but fell short of a majority. With the SC validation of the PTI winners from reserved seats, the bloc, which has now aligned itself with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC,) will be the largest party in the National Assembly with 109 seats.

Here’s a look at why PTI may be banned and what happens next

In April 2022, the Opposition coalition led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) moved a vote of no confidence against Imran Khan in the National Assembly, accusing him of corruption, economic mismanagement, depletion of foreign exchange reserves and soaring inflation. Mr. Khan claimed a “foreign conspiracy” was seeking to oust him due to his “independent foreign policy,” saying that a senior U.S. diplomat was involved in it. Then-Speaker Asad Qaiser called for a vote but then-Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri (who is associated with PTI) dismissed the motion on the day of voting, deeming it unconstitutional.