• Dar, Asif say no final decision taken as yet
• Insiders say Nawaz only gave ‘reluctant blessing’ to plan
• PML-Q advises PM Shehbaz’s govt to exercise caution

LAHORE: A day after it came out ‘all guns blazing’ against the PTI, the PML-N leadership modified its stance on the federal government’s announcement that it was looking to ban the PTI, with a senior member of the Nawaz camp clarifying on Tuesday that no final decision has been made on the matter.

On the other hand, the government’s main ally, PPP, has also withheld its official reaction to the PML-N’s unilateral decision, while another coalition partner, PML-Q, has cautioned against hastily executing the move.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, a trusted lieutenant of PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, clarified on Tuesday that the decision to ban the PTI has not been finalised yet. “We need to consult our leadership and allies in this regard. Any decision to ban PTI will be made in accordance with the law and Constitution.”

At the same time, Mr Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign affairs, said the Election Commission of Pakistan possessed all the necessary records to prove that the PTI has received foreign funding.

“The PTI is a foreign-funded party, and this is an undeniable reality,” he asserted and demanded that those responsible for the May 9 incidents should be held accountable. Mr Dar claimed that the PML-N-coalition had successfully managed to extricate the country from international isolation.

Mian Javed Latif, another senior leader from the Nawaz camp, told a presser that banning a political party is not a viable solution to problems. “National political parties are an asset, and weakening them is not in the best interest of the country,” Latif emphasised.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a speechwriter for Nawaz Sharif, posed fundamental questions about PTI’s credentials, urging caution before supporting or opposing the decision to ban the party. “It must be determined what constitutes a political party and guidance must be sought from Article 17 of the Constitution,” said Mr Siddiqui, the PML-N’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, in a statement.

He said if any group falling outside the scope of Article 17 is considered a political party, then the same privileges and recognition must be extended to all other similar groups, or the Constitution of Pakistan must be amended.

“It must be determined whether a group that protests to prevent international financial institutions from assisting Pakistan, collaborates with Indian lobbies to disgrace Pakistan, attacks more than 250 defence installations within hours, insults martyrs, conspires to incite rebellion within the army, uses its media influence against national security institutions, accepts funds from enemies of Pakistan, and makes efforts to isolate Pakistan globally, should be formally recognised as a political party under Article 17,” he asked.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had initiated discussions about banning the PTI. “However, a final decision would be taken only after consulting with the government’s political allies,” he said at a press conference in Sialkot.

He also expressed displeasure with the United States for expressing “deep concern” over the Pakistan government’s plan to ban the PTI. In a taunting remark, Mr Asif suggested that “the US should also show concern for the oppression and persecution in Gaza”.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller had said on Monday that while Washington opposes such restrictions, it had reasons to believe that the announced ban on PTI was part of “a complex political process”.

‘Reluctant blessing’ from Nawaz

The PML-N is keeping a mum on whether or not Nawaz Sharif has endorsed the Shehbaz government’s decision to ban the PTI. “Nawaz Sharif has reluctantly agreed to the proposal to ban the PTI as he was told that his younger brother’s government has to do it,” a source close to the Sharif family told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said that although Nawaz Sharif, who held a meeting in Murree to discuss the matter, was advised by the party’s legal experts that the government’s decision to ban the PTI might not hold up in the Supreme Court, and that a second thought should be given before making a final decision in this regard.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and PML-N Information Secre­tary Marriyum Aurangzeb did not respond to queries about whether Nawaz Sharif had endorsed or opposed the plan to ban the PTI.

The move appeared to be an attempt to prevent the PTI from becoming the single largest party in the National Assembly as the announcement was made on the heels of relief given to the party by the apex court in the reserved seats case as well as to the party founder in the Iddat case.

The PML-Q, which is part of the cabinets at the Centre and in Punjab, has also advised the Shehbaz administration to exercise caution and not rush into banning the PTI. “The government should not hasten in banning the PTI. [PML-Q chief] Chaudhry Shujaat’s stance on the issue is clear: the government will have to substantiate the reasons for the ban before the Supreme Court,” a party spokesperson said.

Abid Mahmood in Narowal also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024