Pakistan: "Enough is enough, ban PTI," demands ruling PMLN

A day after former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's arrest from the Islamabad High Court, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) or PMLN has demanded the ban of PTI.

Calling Imran Khan's party 'a group of terrorists' PMLN launched a campaign on Twitter, demanding ban on the outfit.

PMLN has tweeted, "A group that has launched a direct assault on Pakistan cannot be considered a political organization. They are nothing but terrorists and must be dealt with as such!"

"The state cannot be left at the mercy of these terrorists," PMLN added, using the hastag #BanPTI.

"PTI's actions have crossed the line from politics to terrorism. No more excuses, it's time to treat them accordingly. Let's enforce the law and hold them accountable for their extremist behavior," PMLN has further said.

Notably, the campaign seeking ban on PTI was launched a day after Pak PM Minister Shehbaz Sharif sparred with Imran Khan on Twitter over corruption charges.

Imran Khan posed two questions to current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

"As someone who has suffered 2 assassination attempts on his life in the last few months, can I dare to ask SS the following

Qs: 1. Have I, a citizen, the right to nominate those I feel were responsible for assassination attacks on me? Why was I denied my legal & Constitutional right?"

In response, PM Sharif has issued a pointwise rebuttal on twitter yesterday against the accusations levelled at him by Imran Khan.

"...your politics is defined by blatant lies, untruths, U-turns, and vicious attacks on institutions," he has said.

"...maligning Pakistan Army as an institution is a recurring pattern in your politics after your ouster from power," he added.

Futher, he said, "Let this be abundantly clear that you, as former prime minister, currently on trial for corruption, are claiming legitimacy to overturn the legal and political system. As for your assertion of Pakistan becoming a ‘jungle’, I advise you not to go there, for the facts are often bitter and disastrous. Let us keep this for another day."

The hastag #BanPTI has taken ground on Twitter, with several users demanding it in response to the violence that Pakistan has witnessed since Khan's arrest.

"This is DIG Operations Lahore Ali Nasir Rizvi. In his efforts to clear the Corps Comd House last night, he was hit by PTI stone pelters. Left Seriously wounded (main facial bone fracture, nasal bone fracture & eye punctured, retinal damage suspected, vision might be lost)," one user said.

PMLN's member in Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Hina Parvez Butt said, "Enough is enough, immediately ban PTI."

"Ban PTI because it is not a political party, it a group of trained terrorists who are spreading chaos in the country by attacking and burning the houses of the army officers and politicians," another Twitter user has added.