Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has ruled out the prospect of a ban on any political party, as the government considers restricting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the aftermath of the May 9 violent protests.
“No one can put an end to any party,” Khaqan stated to the reporters after a hearing at a Karachi accountability court on Tuesday.
Khan’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case sparked nationwide rioting and violent occurrences that lasted three days.
Given the party’s hostile stance, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated that there was no other option than to impose a ban on the PTI.
“It is critical to take a stand against armed groups.” “We have no choice but to impose a ban on this party [PTI],” the interior minister stated during a press conference in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that the present government was considering a ban on Imran Khan’s party.
PTI is going through a hard phase, with scores of members, including senior leadership, leaving as the crackdown on it intensifies. In conjunction with the violent protests, several party leaders and thousands of workers have been apprehended.
Abbasi calls for shutting down NAB
Today, Khaqan told the media following a hearing at a Karachi accountability court that the court had declared the ruling on the appeal for not holding the trial in an accountability court.
Previously, the court, in delivering the judgment, referred the case against Abbasi to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with the illegal appointments at Pakistan State Oil (PSO).
Khaqan chastised those who brought the case, claiming that it was a waste of their and the institutions’ time.
“Tell us about the authority we abused. Our lives had come to a halt because of infamy on the one hand and financial ruin on the other,” he added.
Khaqan then called on the NAB to apologize for this, regardless of who put pressure on them to pursue the issue.
“Imran Khan claims he made no case [against anyone].” “The chairman of the NAB is in charge of investigating false cases,” he continued.
The minister went on to remark that he is not one of those who flee like Imran Khan and that a political leader competes valiantly.
He then urged for the abolition of NAB, claiming that the country and the anti-graft watchdog “cannot work together.”
Khaqan continued his criticism of the NAB, saying that it was an institution that hurt the country.
The accountability court had already referred the case against Khaqan to the NAB while issuing the reserved judgment on the plea filed by co-accused Sheikh Imranul Haq.
The petitioner said in the plea that after the NAB modification law, the court no longer had jurisdiction to hear the issue.
It should be emphasized that four people, including Khaqan, are charged in the 2020 reference.
