Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Rana Muhammad Fayyaz on Friday submitted a resolution to the Punjab Assembly Secretariat, calling for a ban on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The resolution accuses PTI of operating as a “disruptive group” under the pretense of being a political party and demands strict action against those responsible for the incidents of November 24, 2024. It further alleges that PTI has been destabilizing the country and pushing an anarchist agenda, undermining Pakistan’s institutions and governance.

This move follows rising demands to limit PTI’s activities in light of recent violent protests in Islamabad and across Pakistan. It also mirrors a similar resolution passed by the Balochistan Assembly a day earlier, which accused PTI of damaging critical institutions, including the judiciary, media, and economy, and called on the federal government to impose a ban on the party.

The Punjab Assembly resolution, supported by provincial ministers, strongly condemned PTI’s alleged role in orchestrating violent demonstrations, including attacks on public and military properties during the May 9, 2023, unrest. It also criticized the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for allegedly using state resources to challenge federal authority, describing such actions as part of a “non-political agenda.”

In Balochistan, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout in protest against the resolution, claiming it targeted PTI unfairly. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also weighed in on the matter during a high-level law-and-order meeting. He denounced PTI for causing economic disruption, stating, “Instead of following legal processes, they repeatedly sought to create chaos by marching on Islamabad.”

The Prime Minister announced the establishment of professional anti-riot forces to address future unrest and directed law enforcement to bring those responsible for violent protests to justice. He further emphasized the need for comprehensive strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future.

PTI’s recent “do-or-die” protest in Islamabad ended abruptly after a government crackdown that led to the arrest of 1,151 protesters, including 64 Afghan nationals. Authorities claimed to have confiscated weapons, ball bearings, and spiked clubs from the detained Afghans. However, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja alleged that 20 protesters were killed during the demonstrations—a claim that the authorities have denied.