PESHAWAR: Different political parties have rejected the federal government’s decision to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and launch high treason proceedings against the party’s founder Imran Khan and other leaders under the Article 6 of the Constitution.

In a statement issued here on Monday, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the use of force against political forces would not resolve issues, rather further exacerbate the political crisis.

Mr Rehman said the army should distance itself from politics in order to resolve the political crisis. “As long as the army does not disassociate itself from politics, this crisis will linger,” he said.

He said that political imbroglio could be resolved if all the state institutions worked within their remits. “It would be better for both the country and those wielding power that they should realise [importance of working within this remit] this fact before it is too late,” he said. Otherwise, he warned the situation would further deteriorate.

JUI-F, ANP, QWP say move will further destabilise country

Mr Rehman also said that existing hybrid regime had become dysfunctional. Besides, he said solution to the current political mess was in holding fresh elections.

Awami National Party termed the federal government’s decision of banning the PTI as childish and unwise, according to a statement issued by central spokesperson Eng Ihsanullah Khan.

He said the political parties couldn’t be suppressed with bans, restrictions and obstacles in their ways. He said they had political differences with PTI, but banning a political party was stupidity.

He said politicians had not pushed this country into the quagmire of problems rather the establishment was responsible for it.

Ihsanullah said those responsible for the political instability and economic difficulties of the country needed to be identified, adding such elements were the actual culprits.

He further said that such elements should be held accountable for using political parties against each other.

“The country will be put on the right direction when the experiments done in the previous 77 years were stopped immediately,” he said, adding such elements should accept that they had done injustice with the country’s Constitution, political parties and its people.

He said if the establishment continued to interfere in politics, hopes of improvement in the system would be mere illusion.

“The establishment should accept that it has committed a grave mistake of nurturing the PTI,” he said.

Commenting on the existing situation, he said the ruling PML-N was repeating what the PTI had done between 2018 and 2022.

Commenting on the reports that the federal government was mulling a ban on PTI, Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao termed this move unconstitutional and undemocratic.

In a statement, he said the country was already passing through a critical phase and was facing political and economic instability, adding that this step would further deepen the crises.

“The country cannot afford such adventure at this stage,” he maintained, adding that Pakistan was already facing economic and political instability. He said the government should tackle the challenges facing the country instead of indulging in confrontation.

Aftab Sherpao said any decision made in haste would backfire and lead to more problems. The QWP leader said political rivalry should remain confined to the political arena, adding that pushing a certain political party against the wall would have dire consequences.

He said the country was already facing polarisation, advising the government to avoid taking such extreme steps.

Aftab Sherpao said the rulers should focus on taking steps to revive the economy and tackle the worsening law and order.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2024