The coalition government on Monday said the PTI was “not a political party but a clique of militants trained by banned outfits”, and resolved to take action under the law.

The decision was taken in a six-hour-long meeting of the political parties in the ruling coalition at the Prime Minister’s House, according to a press release.

“The meeting declared that the entire nation has seen that PTI is not a political party but a clique of militants trained by banned outfits for which there is evidence and proof so it was decided to take action in this regard according to the law,” the press release reads.

Over the last few weeks, PTI workers and the Punjab police — aided by their Islamabad police counterparts and Rangers personnel — have been intermittently engaged in “pitched battles”.

The clashes first began when the Islamabad police arrived at former prime minister Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence last week to arrest him in the Toshakhana case. However, it was met with resistance from the PTI chairman’s supporters. During the clashes, which were later stopped by the interference of courts, several policemen were injured.

On Saturday, heavy machinery was used by the Punjab police to break into the Zaman Park residence soon after the PTI chairman left for Islamabad to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case.

PTI workers clashed with police personnel while trying to stop them from entering Imran’s residence when they reached there after getting search warrants from an anti-terrorism court (ATC), police claimed. Several PTI workers and policemen were injured in the clash.

In the wake of the events, PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif had last week called on the coalition government to treat the PTI as a “terrorist organisation”.

Today’s coalition meeting strongly condemned the PTI’s response towards police officers and Rangers personnel, saying that the law enforcement agencies were only “implementing court orders” and declared the party’s action to be “unacceptable”.

“Attacks on officers and employees of state institutions by violent and trained gangs consisting of members from banned outfits is very alarming. This behaviour is not at all constitutional, legal, democratic or political.

“Taking up arms against the state, targeting its officers and men, firing at them, burning vehicles, besieging and ransacking court premises, looting, throwing police vehicles into canals and subjecting policemen performing their legal duties to violence is the height of lawlessness which no state can tolerate,” the press release reads.

It added that the meeting expressed solidarity with the officers of state institutions, appreciated their sense of duty and declared that “strict action should be taken against rogue elements under the law and no exception should be taken”.

“This is state hostility which cannot be tolerated,” the press release stated.

The coalition moot decided to convene a joint session of parliament on March 22 (Wednesday) in which “important decisions will be taken to ensure the implementation of the state’s writ”.

The political gathering also addressed the justice system’s treatment of the PTI chief and his associates, saying that it was “furthering the impression that the scales [of justice] are not balanced” and adding that it was not a “good omen for the Constitution, law and principles of justice in the country”.

“Two different standards of justice are not acceptable in one country. The meeting also decided to take strict action in accordance with the law against attacks on judicial commission, injuries to police officers and personnel, vandalism of property, violence and arson,” the press release added.

The meeting was attended by leaders of the political parties in the government coalition, senior leaders and federal ministers.

Among other issues, the meeting also discussed in detail the overall economic, political, internal and external peace and order situation of the country.

The moot was also apprised of and appreciated PM Shehbaz’s measures for the economy, restoration of the International Monetary Fund programme and public relief initiatives “despite the [country’s] difficult conditions and expressed full confidence in him”.

Action against elements involved in anti-army propaganda

The meeting also strongly condemned the “campaign against the army chief through social media and foreign institutions”.

A day ago, hundreds of Pakistanis Americans gathered outside the White House, ignoring freezing cold and biting winds, to demand an end to the government’s actions against Imran. During the demonstration, one of the protesters said that the “establishment must realise its mistake”. Another PTI supporter said: “Now is the time for the establishment to accept civilian supremacy.”

PM Shehbaz earlier today strongly condemned the “vile campaign” abroad against the army and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and called on overseas Pakistanis to raise their voices against it.

The coalition moot too said that overseas Pakistanis “should not be part of this nefarious agenda”.

“The elements who are running a dirty campaign against the martyrs of Lasbela are sitting abroad and running this nefarious campaign through social media and protests in different parts of the world.

“The meeting decided to take strict action against all these elements and declared that this behaviour is not acceptable in any society. This is not freedom of speech,” the press release reads.