Rana Sanaullah, the PM’s political affairs adviser, has warned that the PTI may be deemed unlawful and that its operations may be prohibited. Senior government officials, including the minister of defense, have reaffirmed this view numerous times, but is this really feasible? I counter that it’s not.
Political parties can be outlawed, but how? Article 17 of the Pakistani Constitution guarantees every citizen, who is not serving in the armed forces, the fundamental right to organize or join a political party. However, this right may be subject to reasonable limitations imposed by law in order to protect Pakistan’s integrity or sovereignty.
