Pakistan government may ban Imran Khan's PTI: Defense minister

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Wednesday that the Pakistan government is considering banning former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for attacking the state. He said if the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government decides to ban the party, the matter will be referred to parliament for approval. He also alleged that the violent protests after Khan's arrest were pre-planned.

• Khan was arrested earlier this month in the alleged Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, following which widespread agitation erupted across the country against his arrest.
• After being ousted from power, Khan went on a crusade against the PML-N and the military, accusing them of falsely implicating him over political rivalry.
• If the government bans the PTI, it could reignite the nationwide protests.

"The PTI has attacked the very basis of the state, that never happened before. It can't be tolerated," Asif said. Khan's arrest resulted in violent protests, with several PTI supporters storming the Corps Commander House in Lahore. PTI supporters also pelted stones at the residence of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. The violence ebbed after the Supreme Court ordered Khan's release.

Meanwhile, PTI's lawyer, Ali Zafar, said that even if the party is banned, the Supreme Court would overturn the decision "within a day." He said a political party can't be banned, referring to the case of Jaamat-e-Islami, in which the country's top court ruled that "a ban cannot be imposed as it was a basic right of everyone to create a political party."

Pakistan is in a crucial phase of rivalry between civilian politicians and the military, which has directly ruled or indirectly controlled the government since the country's inception. The PML(N) government has slapped dozens of cases against Khan for corruption, treason, and inciting violence, among others. Apart from Khan and his family, several PTI leaders have been arrested on charges of complicity in the cases.