WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday expressed concerns over the Pakistan Government’s surprise announcement that it plans to impose a ban on the political party PTI due to its alleged involvement in anti-state activities.
Responding to a question during a daily press briefing, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller referred to media reports and the Pakistani government’s announcement, saying the development “is the beginning of a complex process.”
“[…] certainly, the banning of the political party would be of great concern to us,” he added.
Information Minister of Pakistan Attaullah Tarar earlier announced that the federal government would file a reference against the former prime minister Imran Khan, former president Arif Alvi, and former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri for treason under Article 6 for dissolving the lower house of parliament in April 2022.
“This is a fact and on the record that the PTI has been involved in anti-state activities. To this end, the government and its allies have decided to initiate legal proceedings to ban the PTI under Article 17 of the Constitution, which empowers the federal government to ban any such party,” the information minister announced at a press conference in Islamabad.
The US spokesperson stressed his country supports the peaceful upholding of the country’s Constitution and democratic principles, including respect for human rights and freedom of expression.
“We support the democratic processes and broader principles, including the rule of law and equal justice under the law, and as these internal processes continue to play out, we will monitor the further decisions,” Miller said.
The government’s announcement drew severe criticism from several quarters, including leaders of mainstream political parties.
The PTI, without naming the PML-N, demanded invoking Article 6 of the Constitution against those who undertook unconstitutional steps in the country, calling on allies of the ruling coalition government to clear their position on the plan to ban the former ruling party.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, the party leadership also condemned the federal government’s decision to ban the Imran Khan-founded party.
“We call on the PPP and the MQM-P to clarify their position as the ANP has already clarified its position on the issue,” PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub said.
Read more: Imran Khan Sent on 10-Day Physical Remand in May 9 Cases
