ISLAMABAD  -   Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is struggling to convince President Asif Ali Zardari to ban the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) supremo is reluctant to give a green signal on the subject.

The President has, however, promised to consult the party and discuss the issue at the top forum of the PPP. Last day, a crucial meeting took place at the President’s House involving delegations from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the PPP. The primary focus was a legal briefing concerning a recent decision on PTI’s reserved seats and the possible banning of the PTI.

Prominent figures such as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and the Attorney General were in attendance.

During the meeting, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and the Attorney General provided a detailed legal briefing on the reserved seats decision and the government’s proposal to ban the PTI.

There was a briefing on legal proceedings under Article 6 against PTI founder Imran Khan, the former president, and Qasim Suri.

Earlier, the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided to ban the PTI, which is the largest opposition party. This decision was announced by Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, during at a news conference. He said the ban was due to alleged anti-state activities, and the case would be referred to the Supreme Court.

The government decision follows a Supreme Court order that granted PTI eligibility for over 20 seats reserved for women and minorities, positioning PTI as the largest party in the National Assembly. Attaullah Tarar highlighted “credible evidence” for the ban, citing the foreign funding case, the May 9 riots, the cipher episode, and a resolution passed in the United States as key factors.

PTI founder Imran Khan is currently imprisoned at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi due to multiple charges following his removal from office through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. Recently, a sessions court overturned his conviction and that of his wife Bushra in a case concerning the violation of the mandatory waiting period for a Muslim woman between two marriages. His sentences in two Toshakhana (gift) cases had also been suspended by the Islamabad High Court.

In the February 8 general elections, PTI, contesting as independents, won the most seats as a single party. However, the Election Commission deemed independents ineligible for the 70 reserved seats designated for political parties. The Supreme Court’s order to allocate 23 seats to PTI is expected to increase their tally to over 100.

Despite PTI’s gains, the ruling coalition of Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s PPP continues to hold a majority with over 200 members in the 336-member lower house of parliament.

PPP sources believe the Central Executive Committee of the party may not approve the decision to ban the PTI unless the leadership strongly votes for the option.

“We don’t see Bilawal or Zardari voting for the ban. For this option to be approved, the leadership will have to ask us to approve it,” said a close aide of the PPP leadership.

Another PPP leader said the PML-N had not succeeded in convincing President Zardari on this matter.