Pakistan’s Information Minister said, “Shahbaz Sharif government is firm on banning Imran’s party”

Pakistan Information Minister Atatullah Tarar on Tuesday reiterated his/her stance to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf while speaking on Pakistan-based Geo News programme “Capital Talk”.

The information minister said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government will go ahead with the “in-principle” decision to ban Imran Khan’s party and it will be changed after relevant legal consultations, Geo News reported.

,[We] The PTI has consulted with the Pakistan Peoples Party regarding the ban and is currently in talks with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan. […] People are strongly supporting [the idea of banning [PTI]Geo News quoted Tarar as saying.

The announcement came after Imran Khan admitted to reporters at the Adiala Jail that he/she had called for a protest outside the General Headquarters in case of his/her arrest, Pakistan-based daily Dawn reported.

Tarar’s statement comes after his/her remarks last week about banning the PTI. According to a Geo News report, he/she had said that “PTI and Pakistan cannot co-exist.”

he/she said the decision was taken due to Imran Khan’s involvement in the May 9 riots and efforts by other PTI leaders to sabotage the IMF deal.

“We have decided in principle to ban PTI but are waiting for a broad consensus (among ruling allies) on imposing the ban,” Dawn quoted Tarar as saying on Geo News.

Earlier on Sunday, Imran Khan criticised the government’s decision, saying banning any political party was tantamount to “murdering democracy”.

“Our party was already banned, it was not allowed to contest elections, and the party’s chairman, vice chairman and president were already in jail, yet they say the party has been banned. This will be done,” Khan said.

Even the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is not in agreement with the government’s decision while the other ally PML-Q has also questioned the decision.

Civil society immediately objected and the Pakistan Human Rights Council expressed concern over the decision and called it a violation of fundamental rights.