The Pakistani government will seek legal advice before designating Imran Khan's party as a "proscribed" group: Sanaullah

Pakistan Interior Minister Rana Sanuallah has said that the government plans to consult experts on initiating a process to declare Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party a "proscribed" outfit after police claimed to have seized weapons and petrol bombs from the former premier's residence in Lahore.

Leaders of the governing coalition lashed out at Khan who flew from Lahore to Islamabad on Saturday to record his presence before a district court here, amidst mayhem and turmoil, as his followers battled with police.

In a huge raid at Khan's Zaman Park mansion in Lahore while Khan was in Islamabad, over 10,000 armed Punjab police officers detained hundreds of his followers and claimed to have found firearms and petrol bombs.

During a press conference on Saturday, Interior Minister Sanuallah said that the government will engage with its legal counsel to see if a procedure could be started to designate the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party as a banned organisation.

"At Zaman Park, terrorists were hiding. Guns, petrol bombs, and other items have been found in Imran Khan's home, which is sufficient proof to bring a case against the PTI for being a terrorist group, according to Sanaullah.

The minister commented on the government's intention to start the process of outlawing Khan's party, saying: "First and foremost, it is a court procedure to declare any party outlawed. On this matter, nonetheless, we will speak with our legal department. Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz, the senior vice president of the PMN-L, said that Imran Khan's party is a "militant organisation," and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seemed to concur.

Imran Niazi, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, "layed bare his fascist and militant inclinations" in recent days, he said in a tweet.

Maryam said Khan feared going to prison.

"I'm unsure whether he identifies as a politician. Politicians do not fear being held accountable or going to prison. Only criminals and terrorists do this. She mocked the court for recording Khan's attendance in the Toshakhana case without his physical being there, saying, "Fear of arrest demonstrates charges against him (Imran) are legitimate.

He fled the court without recording his presence, proving that he is a coward.

According to the publication, several PML-N cabinet members attended press conferences to defend the police action against Khan and criticise his party's "hooliganism" at the Islamabad court complex.

Throughout his 30-year professional experience as a lawyer, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar told reporters that he had never seen a court ask a defendant to sign a vehicle to indicate his presence, as it did in the case of Imran Khan.

Don't make fun of your legal system, Tarar admonished.

The court was criticised for granting Khan a "bundle package of bail," according to Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

"The terrorists who assaulted the police, the court system, and the state received a generous bail package. This sends the sense that Khan is above the law and the Constitution, she said.

According to Aurangzeb, Khan's supporters did not only hurl petrol bombs at police and rangers; they also did so in response to court rulings. She said that upholding the authority of the government is the responsibility of all state institutions.

The integrity of the law and courts was violated once again today. By inviting the individuals, he is attempting to sway the judge. Sherry Rehman, the Pakistan Peoples Party's leader and the minister for climate change, urged the court to take note of the case or else other political parties will follow suit.

Khan travelled from Lahore to Islamabad on Tuesday to appear before Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal in connection with a charge the Election Commission of Pakistan filed against him for allegedly failing to disclose information about gifts in his asset declarations.

After spending hours waiting at the court's entry because the police were unable to clear the path used by his followers, Khan returned to Lahore.

The hearing in the Toshakhana case was eventually postponed to March 30, and the court consented to let the former premier record his presence on a paper from his car.