In a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a decision was deferred on the matter of banning the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The cabinet also failed to reach a conclusion on whether to initiate Article 6 proceedings against PTI founder Imran Khan, as well as the party’s president Arif Alvi and former deputy speaker Qasim Suri. The highly anticipated meeting comes amid ongoing political tensions in the country.
Sources close to the cabinet revealed that the deferment is pending further consultations with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other allied factions, after which the matters will be revisited in another cabinet session.
The cabinet meeting also addressed other agenda items, including visa-free entry for foreign investors, matters related to special courts under the SECP Act, an MoU with Denmark, the appointment of the Evacuee Trust Property Board chairman, and an increase in the number of Privatization Commission members.
Previously, the federal government had announced its intention to ban PTI and pursue Article 6 cases against the party’s top leadership.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had stated that the government would block the passports and identity cards of Imran Khan, Arif Alvi, and Qasim Suri, pass a parliamentary resolution, and take actions within the constitutional and legal framework.
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The cabinet’s deferment of these decisions comes amid ongoing political tensions in the country, following the Supreme Court’s recent decision to resurrect PTI. The government has also expressed its intention to challenge the court’s ruling that allowed PTI to have reserved seats in the assembly.
The federal cabinet’s next meeting will be closely watched as it is expected to revisit the decisions on the PTI ban and Article 6 proceedings after further consultations with coalition partners.
