Political confusion in Pakistan as government seeks to ban Imran Khan's party, challenge order on reserved seats

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on July 15 announced that the government was seeking to ban the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party and press treason charges against Khan under Article 6 of the country's Constitution.

The decision was met with immediate criticism with the PTI quoting Imran Khan as saying that banning of any political party amounts to "murder of democracy." "Our party was already banned, it was not allowed to contest the elections, the chairman, vice chairman and president of the party were already in jail, they still say that the party is banned. It will be done," Khan said.

Even the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) did not get on board with the government decision while the other ally PML-Q also questioned the decision. Civil society immediately raised objections, with the Human Rights Council of Pakistan expressing concern over the decision and calling it to be in violation of fundamental rights.

Author Zahid Hussain, in his column in Dawn, called it a sign of state desperation.

"The decision to ban PTI is yet another sign of the state's desperation. It is a desperate move that may bring down the entire edifice. The plan to ban the most popular political party in the country is the most senseless, self-destructive action the government can take. It is nothing short of hara-kiri. Whether or not the decision is implemented, its very announcement has jolted the foundations of the existing political power structure. The ruling coalition is already in tatters." Zahid Hussain wrote in Dawn.

A day later, the government back-tracked partially with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar telling the media that no final decision had been reached.

"We need to consult our leadership and allies in this regard. Any decision to ban PTI will be made in accordance with the law and Constitution," Ishaq Dar was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Fearing widespread protests, the government may not hold its threat to ban the PTI but holds steadfast on its decision to challenge the Supreme Court's reserved seats ruling.

The development comes after the top court ruled that the PTI was eligible for the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the full bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court announced the 8-5 majority verdict, nullifying the Peshawar High Court's (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.

Following the verdict, the PML-N filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its verdict. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz openly criticised the court saying judges should allow the country to progress

"I would like to ask the SC judges to let the country function. Who are those (people) who do not like the country making progress and re-write the Constitution," Maryam said addressing an event in Lahore.

In response, the PTI accused the government and the PML-N of acting like the mafia.

"In the case of reserved seats, the Supreme Court did full justice and corrected the Election Commission's misinterpretation of the Supreme Court's decision to take away the bat symbol from the Tehreek-e-Insaf, recognizing the political and parliamentary status of the Tehreek-e-Insaf, but the word law. The Supreme Court judges are being threatened on behalf of the Sicilian Mafia, that is illegally in power," the PTI said.

While the PPP has come on board and supported the decision to review the court verdict an editorial in Dawn called it a dangerous step.

"The PML-N's confrontational stance and overt refusal to respect court orders on arguably flimsy pretexts is a dangerous sign. The party seems to be throwing a tantrum over being denied a two-thirds majority, which it had only secured due to a series of patently unjust and illegal decisions taken by the ECP. It is unjustified for it to escalate tensions on this matter to the point where they may bring two branches of the state into direct conflict with each other," the column read.

The next few weeks will be critical with the Shehbaz Sharif government's decisions being closely watched the world over.