Resolution submitted in Punjab Assembly to ban PTI

• Punjab Assembly resolution submitted by MPA Rana Muhammad Fayyaz.
• PTI accused of undermining stability and promoting an anarchist agenda.
• Resolution demands federal ban on PTI after violent Islamabad protests.
  

LAHORE: A resolution seeking a ban on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been submitted to the Punjab Assembly Secretariat by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Rana Muhammad Fayyaz.

The resolution calls for stringent action against PTI, labelling it a "disruptive group" operating under the guise of a political party, and demands that those responsible for the events of November 24 be brought to justice.

The resolution highlights PTI’s alleged role in undermining the country’s stability, accusing it of promoting an anarchist agenda.

The submission comes amid mounting calls from various quarters to curtail PTI’s activities following recent violent protests in Islamabad and other parts of the country.

This move follows a similar resolution passed in the Balochistan Assembly on Thursday, initiated by the PML-N.

The Balochistan Assembly resolution accused PTI of harming key institutions, including the judiciary, media, and economy.

The document had called for federal intervention to impose a ban on the party and hold its leadership accountable for its alleged misdeeds.

The resolution, supported by provincial ministers, accuses PTI of orchestrating violent demonstrations, including attacks on public and military properties during the May 9 protests last year.

It further criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s alleged use of state machinery to challenge federal authority, terming it a "non-political agenda."

The opposition in the Balochistan Assembly staged a walkout in protest, decrying the mistreatment of PTI.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also weighed in on the issue, condemning PTI for its recent actions. During a high-level meeting on Thursday to review the law-and-order situation, the premier directed the establishment of professional anti-riot forces to prevent future unrest.

“Instead of taking the legal route, attempts were repeatedly made to spread chaos across the country by marching on Islamabad,” said the prime minister, accusing PTI of causing billions of rupees in economic losses.

He further instructed officials to devise a strategy to prevent such incidents and bring perpetrators to justice.

PTI’s recent "do-or-die" protest in Islamabad resulted in widespread disruption before it was abruptly called off following a government crackdown.

A total of 1,151 protestors were arrested, including 64 Afghan nationals, with authorities saying that they have seized weapons, ball bearings and spiked clubs from the arrested Afghans.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja claimed that 20 people had died during the protests, a claim denied by authorities.