Punjab assembly passes resolution seeking ban on PTI and Imran Khan

The political crisis in Pakistan escalated further on Wednesday after the Punjab Assembly approved a resolution demanding a complete ban on former prime minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. 

The move marks one of the strongest attempts yet by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to dismantle its main political rival ahead of crucial national developments.
The resolution, tabled by PML-N legislator Tahir Pervaiz, was passed by treasury lawmakers during a tense session boycotted by PTI members. The opposition walked out in protest over the provincial government’s continued refusal to allow them to meet Imran Khan, who remains incarcerated at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on multiple charges.
The document labelled PTI an 'anti-state organisation,' accusing the party of working against national interests, spreading instability and using foreign-back channels to influence public opinion. It alleged that Khan’s remarks over the past two years had undermined state institutions, especially the military, and urged the federal government to impose 'strict legal action and punishment' on any individual or group involved in what it termed anti-national activities.
The tensions intensified after the military’s public relations wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), sharply criticised the former prime minister earlier this week. Without directly naming him, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry accused Khan of promoting an “anti-army narrative” that he said had directly threatened national security and emboldened hostile foreign actors.
Following the resolution, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari warned that the government was reviewing several political options, including a constitutional ban on PTI or even imposing governor’s rule in the province if the party continued what she described as 'a confrontational and destructive path.' She likened Khan’s trajectory to that of exiled MQM founder Altaf Hussain, claiming PTI leaders had contributed to Pakistan’s growing diplomatic isolation and operated a foreign-based propaganda network against state institutions.
Political analysts say the resolution adds yet another layer to Pakistan’s widening civil–military and government–opposition divide, as the country continues to grapple with economic turbulence, institutional distrust and intensifying public discontent. Whether the federal government moves ahead with an actual ban will likely determine the next phase of Pakistan’s already volatile political landscape.