The Shehbaz Sharif-led government in Pakistan decided to ban the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Pakistan’s Information Minister announced on Monday.
Attaullah Tarar, the Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting, announced in a press conference that a decision had been made to ban the PTI for alleged anti-state activities. The government will refer the case to the Supreme Court, according to Pakistani media.
This decision by the government led by the Pakistan Muslim League (N) comes days after a Supreme Court order that declared Imran Khan’s party eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities, paving the way for PTI to emerge as the single largest party in the National Assembly, while the ruling alliance is likely to lose its two-thirds majority.
Announcing the ban decision, the minister said there was “credible evidence” for the action.
“In view of the foreign funding case, the May 9 riots, the cipher episode, as well as the resolution passed in the US, we believe that there is very credible evidence present to have the PTI banned,” he said.
