PTI Ban Resolution Passed by Punjab Assembly, Party Declared Anti-State

The Punjab Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday urging the ban of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on grounds that the party is anti-state and intent on fostering instability in the country, and working against the national interests.

The resolution, tabled by PML-N MPA Tahir Pervaiz, was passed in the absence of PTI legislators who had boycotted the session. It stressed the imperative to protect institutions in the Pakistani state and condemned any other action that threatened the stability of the state. Although Imran Khan was not directly mentioned, the resolution made reference to the actions of the former ruling party indirectly.

This move comes after the federal government in 2024 had tried to criminalize PTI, a trend that Pakistan has traditionally exhibited in its effort to go after political groups perceived as a menace to its security. The resolution now mounts pressure on federal authorities to take additional action against the party.