Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that no decision had been taken to ban Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), adding that any decision would be taken only after consulting the coalition partners.
Speaking to the media at Lahore’s Data Darbar, Dar emphasized that the current economic problems were not caused by the incumbent government but were the result of the previous administration.
“The economic downturn started with the overthrow of Nawaz Sharif, not during our tenure,” Dar claimed.
He criticized the previous PTI government for exacerbating the country’s financial instability, claimed that the PTI had left the economy on the brink of insolvency within six to seven months of its rule, and accused them of rigging the 2018 elections to bring their leader to power.
Further details on the economic impact Dar pointed out that during PTI’s tenure, Pakistan’s economic rank has dropped from 24th to 47th.
“If the PML-N had not intervened, Pakistan would have failed,” he claimed, praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his team for averting the financial crisis.
On the subject of PTI’s alleged foreign funding, Dar said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has concrete evidence that PTI is a foreign-funded party and mentioned the May 9 incident which he termed as condemnable and said that the parties involved should be properly punished.
Regarding the potential ban on PTI, Dar reiterated, “No decision has been taken yet. We will consult thoroughly with our leadership and coalition partners in accordance with the law and the constitution before taking any policy decision.”
