Why banning Imran Khan’s birthday celebrations could prove costly – DW- 07/16/2024

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan remains a highly consumerist figurehead in Pakistan despite being ousted in a dissent vote two years ago and facing charges in other matters ranging from corruption to treason.

In February, candidates sponsored by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which was forced to contest elections independently, won the most seats in Pakistan’s general elections, even That despite facing general pressure and alleged vote rigging, his fighters.

Now, a Supreme Court decision in the next few days has legally recognized the PTI as a party, therefore allowing it to have the most seats in Pakistan’s parliament, the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. That she will try to ban it. Birthday celebration outright.

“We believe there is credible evidence that PTI should be banned,” Pakistan’s Knowledge Minister Atta Tarar told DW. He cited several charges leveled against Khan, including leaking status secrets, receiving foreign investment and inciting riots following his ouster.

screw on mine

Pakistan’s coalition government led by Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) is largely supported by the country’s military, which analysts say has a long history of interference in politics.

Khan became prime minister in 2018 and was ousted from office in 2022 after a rift with Pakistan’s hard-line generals.

Villagers protested for several weeks after he was removed from power. Some of Khan’s supporters clashed with security forces and even attacked military formations.

The 71-year-old has been jailed since August 2023, and his reputation in the election was contested.

Although an Islamabad court on Saturday overturned Khan’s conviction and seven-year sentence for illegal marriage, he was not released and remained in jail on alternative charges.

Can PTI alone stop the dominance of political unrest?

Political analysts have expressed concerns that banning PTI could incite more political violence, and lead to a constitutional crisis in Pakistan.

Political analyst Zahid Hussain told DW that banning birthday celebrations could be “a disaster” that “could lead to the collapse of the government.”

He said, “There have been very few incidents in Pakistan when a political party has been banned. This decision could create uncertainty and chaos.”

PTI spokesperson Hammad Azhar told DW that the visit would create political instability in Pakistan.

He said, “The government is suppressing the will of the public, which never works in this era. This is an old story. This will lead to more instability and the people of Pakistan are now completely clear that their will will not be actively expressed.” Being pressed by.”

PTI is all set to remain a customer with citizens

Madiha Afzal, a fellow at the Brookings Establishment, told DW that efforts to ban PTI would further weaken the coalition government’s legitimacy among many Pakistani citizens and enhance PTI’s reputation.

“It is likely to be counterproductive,” Afzal said. He said it was not clear whether the march to ban PTI would be victorious or not.

“This will go to the courts, and will further intensify the already ongoing conflict between the judiciary and the (military) establishment,” he said.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the PTI was eligible for more than 20 remaining reserved seats in parliament, putting pressure on Sharif’s weak coalition government.

Afzal said the federal government’s move to ban PTI was “desperate, undemocratic and disastrous”.

“This follows the Supreme Court’s decision to restore the status of a party to PTI, making it the largest party in Parliament,” he said.

“I think all sides need to talk and end the politics of vengeance and harassment, but that’s not likely. The focus needs to be on elections and respecting Parliament and the voter mandate – but currently this is an authoritarian approach. Which is the opposite of democracy,” he added.

visually incorrect match

Political analyst Hussain said that the federal government intended to keep Khan in jail for a long time or even “impose a state of emergency in the country”.

He said, “Reconciliation is needed for a long time to fix the political scenario of the country, but in this situation it is unlikely to happen and PTI cannot sit with the government for reconciliation.”

PTI’s Azhar said political reconciliation is not possible under the Dharam government, whose legitimacy he believes “rests on an artificial and spurious mandate.”

“We feel that there cannot be any compromise on even a single vote cast by the people of Pakistan,” he said.

“As far as the establishment is concerned, we are all ready for talks, but within the parameters of democracy, the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn