Key points:
- US expressed concern over Pakistan’s plan to ban opposition PTI party, calling it a “beginning of a complex process.”
- US said it supports democratic processes, rule of law, and will monitor the situation.
- The government’s announcement drew widespread criticism from political parties, who called it “absurd”and against democracy.
- The Human rights commission condemned the decision as unconstitutional, warned of deeper polarization and chaos.
The United States has expressed concern over the Pakistani government’s plan to ban the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, describing it as the “beginning of a complex process.
In a press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that:
“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,”
The government’s announcement to ban the PTI has drawn severe criticism from several political parties in Pakistan. PTI leaders have demanded invoking Article 6 of the Constitution against those who took “unconstitutional steps.
Other opposition parties, such as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP), have also condemned the move as “absurd” and “against all the norms of democracy.” The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party has called for the military to distance itself from politics to resolve the political crisis in the country.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed shock over the government’s decision, calling it a “flagrant violation” of the PTI’s constitutional right to association. The HRCP has demanded the “unconstitutional decision be withdrawn immediately,” warning that it would only lead to “deeper polarisation and a strong likelihood of political chaos and violence.