Ban on PTI May No Longer Be Needed After Governor’s Rule in K-P: Tarar

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said a ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf may no longer be needed now that governor’s rule is in place in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The remark is the first public walk-back of the government’s threat to outlaw the party, and it reframes the PTI ban governor’s rule debate that has shadowed the province’s politics for weeks.

Speaking on Geo News programme Capital Talk on Tuesday, Tarar said the party had already lost its government in the province because of its alleged support for terrorism, leaving little point in pursuing a ban.

PTI ban governor’s rule debate cools as Tarar walks back threat

Tarar acknowledged that a “principled decision” to ban the PTI had already been taken earlier, with a final decision to follow the completion of legal preparations. But he said the move might no longer be required.

“I believe there may no longer be a need for it because the PTI, as a party, is already absent from parliament. As a result of violations, it did not have an electoral symbol, and its members are not present in the House,” he said.

The emergency and governor’s rule were declared on October 11 after negotiations between the government and the opposition failed, culminating in a PTI long march towards Islamabad that began on October 4. Last week, a joint session of parliament adopted two separate resolutions ratifying the proclamations for two months, after both houses had approved the emergency under Clause 1 of Article 232.

Afridi in protective custody; advisory council to decide next step

Tarar confirmed that former K-P chief minister Sohail Afridi is in protective custody and has not been formally arrested. He said an advisory council would decide whether Afridi should be arrested or whether a case should be registered against him.

He called the custody a natural step after the emergency, to prevent sabotage or threats to law and order.

The statement lands days after the Peshawar High Court opened hearings on petitions challenging the emergency and governor’s rule, adjourning proceedings until November 10.

Tarar blames Afridi for collapsed talks, repeats terrorism allegations

The minister said members of the PTI delegation involved in the recent negotiations had been disappointed after Afridi rejected the terms of an agreement reached with the government, and he blamed Afridi and his associates for the collapse of the talks.

Criticising the PTI’s provincial record, Tarar alleged it had failed to deliver development. “There is no infrastructure in Kohat. The Kohat Tunnel and motorway were built during the PML-N government, and no work has been done there since,” he said.

“Peace is the fundamental requirement for all these things to happen. They have not even taken a stand for peace. In their view, the TTP are very good people, whom they do not want to condemn,” he added.

He alleged the party, which governed the province for more than 13 years, had facilitated the return of militants after the National Action Plan brought terrorism under control after 2017. He had made similar claims in the National Assembly, citing the government’s 2,911 versus 3,787 terror-incident figures.

Fazlur Rehman praised, told not to politicise terrorism

Tarar praised Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his role in the negotiations but urged him not to politicise terrorism. “Maulana Sahib is an experienced and astute politician. I believe it does not suit him to bring politics into the security of the province,” he said, adding that the elimination of terrorism was an unequivocal objective. “This is the time for everyone to stand together against terrorism, but terrorism and politics must be kept separate.”

What happens next

Tarar’s remarks lower the temperature on the ban threat but raise new questions about Afridi’s future. The government’s own minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry used the same Capital Talk platform days earlier to reject claims linking the governor’s rule to mineral extraction.

The immediate tests are judicial and political. PTI’s challenge is before the Peshawar High Court, while PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has offered a way out, saying the governor’s rule could end if the opposition agrees to a united fight against terrorism. Whether the softened stance on a PTI ban opens space for that dialogue remains to be seen.

Is the PTI banned?

No. Tarar has now said a ban on the PTI may no longer be needed following the imposition of governor’s rule in K-P. He had earlier said a principled decision to ban the party had been taken, but no formal ban has been imposed.

Where is former K-P chief minister Sohail Afridi?

Tarar says Afridi is in protective custody, not formally arrested or charged. An advisory council will decide whether to arrest him or register a case.

Source: The Express Tribune.