JI, JUI, APP, QWP, and BNP condemn government’s decision,
Islamabad(Mudasaar Iqbal);Several political forces joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in strongly condemning the ruling coalition’s potential move to ban the Imran Khan-founded party, terming “childish” and “unconstitutional”. The decision came after the federal government decided to file references against ex-prime minister Imran Khan and former president Arif Alvi for treason under Article 6.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Farhatullah Babar called banning a political party “absurd”, and added that no case regarding treason or a ban on a political party can sustain itself. The senior PPP leader said that these decisions would further deepen the political crisis.
Awami National Party (ANP) said the path of the political parties could not be choked with restrictions and hurdles, and added that restrictions on political parties and political processes are not acceptable at any cost.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah raised questions on whether the decision would bring about political and economic stability in the country, whether the confrontation would spiral or scale down, and what benefit this decision would offer to the public and the country.
Recently launched Awam Pakistan’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the ruling coalition cannot undertake it, as they have not studied the Constitution and the law. The rulers are too fond of invoking Article 6, Abbasi said, predicting that they themselves will end up facing treason charges if they invoke Article 6 against the PTI.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz also declared the press conference by the government minister as ‘ridiculous’, saying that the rulers are making efforts to take the country to further chaos.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed shock over the government’s decision to ban the PTI. The HRCP demands the unconstitutional decision be withdrawn immediately, adding that if pushed through, it would achieve nothing more than deeper polarisation and a strong likelihood of political chaos and violence.
