The federal government of Pakistan has revealed its plans to remove Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that was to become the largest party in the National Assembly after a Supreme Court verdict on the reserved seats.
This has provoked lively discussions on social media and TV where many people have criticized this decision as desperate and unpractical. As stated by the analysts, this power belongs to the Supreme Court under Article 17(2) of the Constitution in relation to the banning of a political party.
Nevertheless, political parties have often been banned in Pakistan over the years – during the era of martial law as well as under supposedly democratic governments.
Communist Party of Pakistan
The Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP), which was originally established in Kolkata, India, was outlawed in July 1954 because of allegations that the party wanted to remove Liaquat Ali Khan’s government through supporting a military coup plot.
Awami League
The Awami League, a leading Bengali nationalist party, was declared unlawful by President Yahya Khan in March 1971, which set the tone for the creation of Bangladesh.
National Awami Party
The NAP was banned several times in its history, including in 1958 during the martial law under General Ayub Khan and in 1975 under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government for charges of supporting separatist movements.
Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz-Aresar
JSQM-A was established in 1995 for the demand of Sindhudesh, and the organization was declared unlawful in May 2020 because of links with the militants.
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan
TLP emerged in the year 2015 and quickly captured the attention of the public through massive demonstrations. It was banned in April 2021 after the riots against police but was conditionally delisted later.
Such cases demonstrate that political banning is an integral part of Pakistan’s political history, indicating the continuing conflict between the state power and political opposition. While critics say that such bans are anti-democratic, authorities continue insisting that they are needed in order to prevent chaos and disorder.
This brings us back to Pakistan’s current position and the ongoing discussions on the legitimacy and consequences of banning political parties in the country.
