LAHORE: The PPP, an ally of the ruling PML-N, has opposed the idea of proscribing the PTI and has instead urged the government to take steps for mainstreaming the opposition party after a resolution was submitted with the Punjab Assembly seeking a ban on the PTI.
“We are not in favour of banning the PTI or sidelining it. Rather, the government should take the initiative to bring the PTI into the national mainstream,” Punjab PPP general secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza said.
“There has been no discussion with us regarding proscribing the PTI. When they (the government) contact us, we will take a decision considering the entire context,” he told a press conference here on Friday.
The government must engage the PTI through a fresh dialogue offer instead of going for any negative tactics, he added.
The PTI, with all-out support from its government in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has repeatedly marched on Islamabad. At least five officials of security forces were killed and scores of others injured in the recent episode that ended after an operation clean-up by the law enforcers during the night between Nov 26 and 27.
While the federal government mulled the option of imposing Governor’s Rule in KP the other day, the Balochistan Assembly adopted a resolution on Thursday calling for banning the PTI.
The motion, accusing the party of fanning unrest and targeting state institutions, like May 9, 2023 riots, was tabled by the PML-N parliamentary leader in the house Saleem Khan Khoso. It was also signed by PPP parliamentary leader Mir Sadiq Umrani and backed by other allies, including ANP.
A similar resolution has been submitted with the Punjab Assembly by PML-N MPA, Uzma Kardar.
The resolution chided the PTI for nationwide riots on May 9 and again committing acts of violence in Islamabad this week.
It said that the KP chief minister, laced with state machinery and other resources, marched on the federal capital twice in violation of the Islamabad High Court orders, disallowing the protest, which caused financial damage worth Rs190 billion on a daily basis to the country.
The resolution said that the ‘fitna’ party created chaos each time some international event was happening in the country, including visit of Chinese President Xi, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and visit of Belarus president, to block direct foreign investment here.
It called for immediately banning the PTI by the federal government to save the country from further damage.
Mr Murtaza said that while the situation was not ideal in Islamabad, it was necessary to rid the nation of discord. He criticised Ali Amin Gandapur for storming Islamabad with the former first lady instead of addressing the sufferings of people in Kurram Agency and Parachinar, where dozens of people have been killed in clashes between two groups.
He said that Bushra Bibi’s control of the party during the so-called protest march depicted dynasty politics in PTI.
Meanwhile, former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani has called for initiation of a political dialogue.
In a statement, he said banning a political party was also no solution as it emerges with a different name.
“We should learn from history. NAP and the Communist Party of Pakistan were banned but to what effect?” he asked.
Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2024
