Pakistan - July 2024

On 14 July, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced that the government is seeking to ban former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the grounds of inciting violent protests last year and leaking classified information. The announcement comes days after a court overturned several of Khan’s previous convictions, as well as a Supreme Court decision declaring PTI eligible for reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies. In July, it was further revealed that a United Nations panel declared that Khan’s detention was arbitrary and in violation of international law, calling for his immediate release. The panel noted that Khan’s legal woes were part of a larger campaign of repression against him and his PTI party. Political analysts and rights bodies note that the decision to ban PTI appears politically motivated and an act of “political desperation.” It remains to be seen if and how the government will move forward with the ban.

Update: Although the government has backed down from its threat to ban PTI, tensions remain high due to Imran Khan’s numerous ongoing legal challenges. On 17 January 2025, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison in one such case, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, received a seven-year sentence in the same corruption case related to illegally obtaining lucrative plots of land. Khan intends to appeal the verdict.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The Express Tribune, Brookings, The Express Tribune, OHCHR, International IDEA, Deutsche Welle, BBC News