ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has lambasted the federal government for planning to have the political party banned, contending that the PTI has been declared as a political party by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

“The Supreme Court has categorically declared that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was, and is a politically party — banning the PTI can be Tarar’s wish but it is not going to happen,” Secretary-General PTI Omar Ayub Khan told the media in response to Information Minister Atta Tarar’s controversial press conference on Monday on banning the PTI.

Flanked by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other party leaders, Omar said, the conspiracy to dislodge the PTI as a political party was being “cooked for the last three days in Murree where N-League’s top leadership has huddled.”

Govt decides to ban PTI, file treason case

He said this government wants to bring the judiciary under control.

Omar took on the federal government for allowing the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) to record public’s phone calls in the name of national security.

“If any party is a threat to national security, it’s Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz,” Ayub deplored.

He said the “derogatory” cases against Imran Khan have ended and he would soon be freed from prison. Omar also strongly criticised the federal government for planning to privatise the state-owned entities.

“The government-run entities they want to privatise are worth 1000 billion rupees— but the government will only get Rs 30 billion from this privatisation. What about the remaining Rs 970 billion?” the PTI leader questioned.

He said the government caused irreparable losses to farmers by importing the wheat, which, he said, the government now plans to export.

Barrister Gohar said those people should be tried under Article 6 who resorted to “unconstitutional things in the presence of the constitution.”

He said the PTI would defend itself, its workers and voters at every level.

“Highhanded efforts are on to stop the PTI from getting reserved seats in the assemblies - The PTI got more than 30 million votes in the general elections—now efforts are on to snatch the reserved seats,” Gohar deplored.

Regarding Tarar’s presser, he said, “We deem the government’s presser to be that of PML-N’s spokesman’s.”

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sought evidence from the PML-N regarding its five accounts in the Foreign Funding Case but the N-League failed to give any evidence.

“Supreme Court ordered Foreign Funding Cases related to all political parties. But, only the case against PTI was decided— other cases remained suspended—the case against PML-N is still pending,” he said.

“The PML-N spokesman probably doesn’t know - only one Foreign Funding Case is presently pending in the election commission and that is related to PML-N,” the PTI chief said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024