Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan remains a very popular politician in Pakistan despite being ousted two years ago in a vote of no confidence, and facing several cases ranging from corruption to treason.
In February, candidates backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who were forced to run as independents, won the most seats in Pakistan’s general elections, even after and alleged vote rigging by their opponents.
Now, days after a Supreme Court decision the PTI as a party, therefore allowing it the most seats in Pakistan’s Parliament, the , headed by PM Shehbaz Sharif, said it would seek to ban the party outright.
“We believe that there is credible evidence that PTI should be banned,” Atta Tarar, Pakistan’s information minister, told DW. He cited several allegations levied against Khan, including , receiving foreign funding and inciting riots after his ouster.
Crackdown on Khan
Pakistan’s coalition government, led by Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), is widely seen as having the backing of the country’s military, which analysts say has a long history of meddling in politics.
Khan became prime minister in 2018 and was ousted in 2022 after falling out with Pakistan’s powerful generals.
The country saw weeks of protests after he was removed from power. Some of Khan’s supporters clashed with security forces, and even raided military buildings.
The 71 year old has been imprisoned since August 2023, and was banned from standing in the election.
Although Khan’s conviction for illegal marriage carrying a seven-year sentence by an Islamabad court on Saturday, he was not freed and over other cases.
Could PTI ban lead to political unrest?
Political analysts have expressed concern that could lead to more political violence, and lead to a constitutional crisis in Pakistan.
Political analyst Zahid Hussain told DW that banning the party would be “a disaster,” which could “lead to the government’s own downfall.”
“There are very few incidents in Pakistan when a political party has been banned. The decision could lead to uncertainty and chaos,” he said.
Hammad Azhar, a PTI official, told DW the move will increase political instability in Pakistan.
“The government is suppressing the public will, which, in this age, never works. This is an old play book. This will lead to more instability and people of Pakistan are now overwhelmingly clear that their will is actively being suppressed,” he said.
PTI set to remain popular with voters
Madiha Afzal, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, told DW that the move to ban PTI will further undermine the legitimacy of the coalition government in the eyes of many Pakistani voters and will increase PTI’s popularity.
“It is likely to be counterproductive,” said Afzal. She added it is not clear whether the move to ban the PTI will succeed.
“It will go to the courts, and will intensify the judiciary and [military] establishment clash that is already underway,” she added.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the PTI was eligible for more than 20 extra reserved seats in parliament, building up pressure on Sharif’s weak coalition government.
Afzal said the government’s attempt to ban the PTI was “desperate, anti-democratic, and destructive.”
“It follows the Supreme Court’s decision restoring PTI to the status of a party, which made it the single largest party in parliament,” she said.
“I think all sides need to talk and end the politics of vendettas and persecution, but it is unlikely. The focus needs to be elections and parliament, and respecting voter mandates — but it is currently an authoritarian approach, antithetical to democracy,” she added.
No reconciliation in sight
Political analyst Hussain said the government’s intentions are to keep Khan in jail for a longer time and even “impose an emergency situation in the country.”
“Reconciliation is long needed to fix the political landscape of the country, but it is not going to likely happen in this situation, and the PTI cannot sit with the government for reconciliation,” he added.
Azhar from the PTI said that political reconciliation is not currently possible with the current government whose legitimacy he believes “rests on an artificial and forged mandate.”
“We feel there can be no compromise on even a single vote that people of have cast,” he said.
“We are all open for talks, as far as the establishment is concerned, but within the parameters of democracy, constitution and the rule of the law.”
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
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