Islamabad:

According to a Pakistani official, if the founder of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, the former prime minister and other senior officials were found guilty of violating the secrecy law in cases related to the May 9 violence and the password case If convicted, the party could be banned. There were media reports on Sunday.

After several years of investigation into the funding status of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unanimously announced in August 2003 that the party had accepted “prohibited funds.”

This created an opportunity for the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to dissolve the party. However, Imran Khan was disqualified from parliament, Geo News reported.

The code case involves a document purported to be a diplomatic cable – the code – which Imran Khan brandished at a public rally on March 27, 2022, naming the United States and claiming it was “evidence “An international conspiracy” to overthrow his government.

Violent protests broke out on May 9, 2023, after paramilitary rangers in Islamabad arrested Imran Khan. More than 20 military installations and state buildings, including the Army headquarters in Rawalpindi, were vandalized or set on fire during violent protests that followed Imran Khan’s arrest in a corruption case.

The party ran into trouble after violence broke out on 9 May among its supporters. In the days following the attack, hundreds of rioters were arrested and charged with multiple crimes.

Top sources in the erstwhile Sherbaz Sharif government told The News on Saturday that the ECP ruling provided an opportunity for the then PDM government to raise the issue of declaring PTI a banned entity before the Supreme Court of Pakistan but the government chose to move forward later. We will raise this matter again at an appropriate time.

Sources in the former Sherbaz Sharif government on Saturday said the ECP ruling provided an opportunity for the then PDM government to raise the issue of declaring PTI a banned entity before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, but the government chose to do so later in due course. bring this matter up again.

Former government Minister of Law and Justice and Senate President, Senator Azam Nazir Talal said the government was trying to save the country from default and hence chose to postpone the matter.

Tarar said the PTI violated several laws under the Election Act, 2017 and committed crimes and the Supreme Court could conveniently rule on it once the government decides to agitate for the legal existence of the PTI.

Replying to a query, Talal said the caretaker government could also knock on the doors of the Supreme Court for this purpose but the next government would have to seriously consider it.

Sources said the possibility of disbanding PTI is high after the verdict is received by the PTI founder and other leaders currently involved in the case.

The report said that despite repeated efforts to contact PTI leaders, including Senate Opposition Leader Shahzad Wasim, none could comment.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)