Pakistan government considering putting a ban on Imran Khan’s party: Khawaja Asif

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 24 (ANI): Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said that the government is considering imposing a ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over the incidents that took place on May 9, Dawn reported.

Speaking to media persons in Islamabad, Khawaja Asif said, “A decision has not been taken yet, but a review is surely underway.” He called the vandalism of military installations across Pakistan on May 9 as “coordinated attacks” planned by PTI chairman Imran Khan, according to Dawn.
Khawaja Asif said, “There is a lot of evidence and their people are telling themselves that they were briefed about this beforehand,” as per the Dawn report. He further said, “I feel that his struggle of a year … all his plans failed and this was his last move against the armed forces.”

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan will address the nation at 7 pm on Wednesday. Taking to its official Twitter handle, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stated, “Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan’s decision to address the nation Chairman Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan will address the nation today at 7 pm.”

It is pertinent to mention that protests erupted across Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest in Islamabad on May 9.

PTI workers protested in cities across the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan.

The PTI chairman was arrested as part of NAB’s investigation in the Al-Qadir Trust case ahead of his appearance before the IHC to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him.

The former prime minister, along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders, is facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

Earlier this month, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, termed the events that unfolded on May 9 as a “black chapter” in the country’s history, The Express Tribune reported.The ISPR in a statement issued in Urdu on Wednesday referred to the protests that were held after the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. The ISPR said that the protests particularly targeted army property and installations.

In a strongly-worded statement, the military’s media wing asserted that no one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. Citing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) statement and law, the ISPR justified the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, as per the news report.

ISPR said that there was a wave of attacks witnessed on the army’s properties and installations along with anti-army slogans being chanted following the arrest of Imran Khan. It condemned those actions and raised its concerns regarding the tactics used by certain elements within the protesting groups.

“Soon after [Khan’s arrest], there were organised attacks on army properties and installations and anti-army slogans were raised,” the military’s media wing said according to The Express Tribune report.