The Pakistani government is contemplating initiating legal action to designate Imran Khan Niazi’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as a banned organisation.
“Terrorists were hiding in Zaman Park. Weapons, petrol bombs, etc have been recovered from the residence of Imran Khan which is enough evidence to file a case against the PTI for being a militant organisation,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said that the legal team of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was examining the matter.
On the government’s plan to initiate the process to ban Khan’s party, the minister said, “Primarily it is a judicial process to declare any party proscribed. However, we will consult our legal team on the issue.”
The push to name PTI a ‘militant outfit’ came from the former prime minister and PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, who is also the senior vice president of the party. She also posted a video of the Zaman Park violence, labeling the supporters of the former Prime Minister as ‘trained terrorists & miscreants recruited from banned outfits that Imran Khan has always been supportive of.’
Watching the videos closely, it’s hard to ignore the truth – these are NOT political workers. They are trained terrorists & miscreants recruited from banned outfits that IK has always been supportive of. The evidence speaks for itself. The state must act before it’s too late. pic.twitter.com/3g6nDUuH1w
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) March 19, 2023
Dragging India and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) into their politics, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif agreed with his niece’s assertion and accused him of ‘intimidating judiciary.’
If anyone had any doubt, Imran Niazi’s antics of the last few days have laid bare his fascist & militant tendencies. From using people as human shields to throwing petrol bombs at police to leading ‘jathas’ to intimidate judiciary, he has taken a leaf out of the RSS book.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) March 18, 2023
Meanwhile, an Islamabad court delayed the arrest warrant of the ex-captain of Pakistan’s cricket team in the ‘Toshakhana case’ until March 30. He was allowed to go back after marking attendance outside the Islamabad Judicial Complex on Saturday.
This infuriated the leaders of the coalition government who referred to the court’s decision as ‘special treatment’ granted to the PTI chief.
Earlier that day, hours after he departed to appear before a local court in Islamabad, the Punjab police conducted a search of his Zaman Park property and arrested a number of party members. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore himself monitored the operation as the police used heavy machinery to break down the gate of his residence.
An anti-terror court granted permission to conduct the search inside Imran Khan’s residence. Police were accompanied by water cannons, bulldozers, and a prisoner van. They soon demolished PTI camps in the area with the help of cranes and removed barriers and containers.
Posting a video of the police action, Imran Khan called it ‘contempt of court.’ Furthermore, he charged, that the assault began after ‘I left to present myself before Islamabad court, and Bushra bibi (his wife), a totally private non-political person, was alone in the house.’ He also called it a violation of the ‘Islamic principle.’
& barge into the house heavily armed. Worse, they did this after I left to present myself before Islamabad court, & Bushra bibi, a totally private non political person, was alone in house. This is a total violation of the Islamic principle of sanctity of chadar & char diwari.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 18, 2023
The PTI leader questioned, “Under what law are they doing this?” He reiterated, that this was part of the ‘London Plan’ where commitments were made to bring absconder Nawaz Sharif to power.
Meanwhile Punjab police have led an assault on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone. Under what law are they doing this? This is part of London Plan where commitments were made to bring absconder Nawaz Sharif to power as quid pro quo for agreeing to one appointment.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 18, 2023
I am going to immediately take up the contempt issue, violation of the sanctity of my home & the violence against my workers & our domestic staff with our Judiciary.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 18, 2023
Pakistan witnessed violent clashes between law enforcement agencies, including Pakistan Rangers, and PTI members, first on March 9, and then again on March 15 and 16.
