May 9 and Cipher Cases
ISLAMABAD: Opponents of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suggest that the party might face a ban if its founder, Imran Khan, and other top leaders are convicted in cases related to the May 9 violent incidents and the violation of the Secrets Act in the cipher case.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared in August 2003 that PTI received “prohibited funding,” leading to disqualification of Imran Khan from parliament. However, the government at the time refrained from pushing for PTI’s dissolution, leaving the matter for a later time.
Former law and justice minister Azam Nazir Tarrar, a member of the previous government, stated that the PTI had violated laws under the Elections Act of 2017, providing grounds for a legal challenge against the party’s lawful existence.
He pointed to Article 212 of the Act, which outlines the dissolution of a political party in cases where it operates against the interests of Pakistan, and said that the Supreme Court could decide on the matter. Tarrar also mentioned Article 213, stating that members of a dissolved political party would be disqualified from remaining terms in elected positions.
While caretaker governments or the next elected government could pursue the matter, the potential dissolution of PTI would depend on legal proceedings against its leadership. The Act prohibits political parties from propagating opinions against constitutional principles, undermining sovereignty, promoting hatred, or engaging in terrorism.
Sources suggest that the disbanding of PTI might become probable if a verdict is handed down against Imran Khan and other leaders currently facing under-trial cases. Attempts to seek comments from PTI leaders, including Dr. Shahzad Waseem, the leader of the opposition in the Senate, were unsuccessful.
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