Pakistan government files suit to ban former PM Imran Khan’s party

15 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Pakistan’s government announced on Monday that it will file a motion to ban the Pakistan Justice Movement (PTI), the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is again under arrest for illicit enrichment.

This was announced by Information Minister Atta Tarar at a press conference in Islamabad, where he cited several issues to justify the ban, including alleged foreign funding of the party and the violent riots that occurred in May following the arrest of Khan.

“We believe there is credible evidence to ban the PTI,” Tarar said, citing the leak of state secrets in the so-called ‘Cypher’ case for which Khan and Shah Mahmud Qureshi – a senior leader of the party – were sentenced to 10 years in prison in October 2023, as another argument, Pakistani daily ‘Dawn’ reported.

“In view of all the evidence, we will file an appeal,” Tarar said, adding that the government will also appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan a few days ago that granted a group allied to the PTI 24 seats reserved for women and minorities that were in dispute.

With this decision by the Supreme Court, the PTI is emerging as the party with the largest representation in the National Assembly, while the governing coalition seems destined to lose its two-thirds majority.