Pakistan Info Min Says Government Has ‘Made Up Its Mind’ On PTI Ban

Islamabad [Pakistan]: In the wake of what is being seen by many as an admission of guilt by Imran Khan, the government’s efforts to ban the opposition PTI from the political mainstream seem to be gathering steam.

A day earlier, media reports said the PTI founder had, while speaking to journalists at Adiala jail, acknowledged that he had called for a protest outside the GHQ if he was arrested.

While the party and his legal team have been at pains to clarify that he meant a “peaceful protest”, PTI’s opponents have pounced on the statement, citing it as a vindication of their misgivings about the party.

Reacting to the ‘admission’, Information Minister Atta Tarar said the government had decided, in principle, to place a ban on the PTI. “We have principally decided to ban PTI, but waiting for a broader consensus (among ruling allies) to impose the ban,” he said during an appearance on Geo News.

Earlier, the government’s stance had been that consultations were underway among the ruling allies regarding the decision to ban the opposition party.

But now, even the PPP seems to have been swayed, approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the July 12 verdict that awarded reserved seats to the PTI and recognised it as a parliamentary party. (Dawn)