PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday warned against the idea of banning the Imran Khan-founded party or imposing governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His comments came amid growing speculation about such actions following PTI’s protests in Islamabad.
Speaking informally to journalists at an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Qureshi stated, “Crushing PTI is not the right approach for the country’s politics.” He cautioned that imposing governor rule in KP would only increase hostility in the region.
Qureshi’s remarks came after reports that the federal cabinet, according to PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah, had discussed the possibility of governor rule in KP. However, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif later dismissed these speculations, stating that the government had no plans to take such action.
The PTI leader also warned that banning PTI would be a grave mistake, and expressed gratitude towards PPP, JUI-F, and PkMAP leaders for opposing the idea of governor rule in KP.
Interestingly, despite being part of the ruling coalition, PPP also opposed the idea of banning PTI. PPP’s Punjab General Secretary, Syed Hassan Murtaza, stated that they were not in favor of sidelining PTI, but rather hoped to bring the party back into the national fold.
On another matter, Qureshi commented on the ongoing water dispute, noting that political parties in Sindh had strongly opposed the proposal to dig additional canals from the Indus River, with Sindh’s Chief Minister pledging to protect the province’s water rights.
Finally, Qureshi requested a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala Jail, and jokingly invited PTI’s leadership to visit him in Kot Lakhpat Jail if they had time.
