May 9 rioters won’t be allowed to escape law: PM Shehbaz

LAHORE: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday asserted that the May 9 rioters, who attacked military installations including Corps Commander House Lahore, would not be allowed to “escape the law”, ARY News reported.

“It has been decided that everyone involved in the May 9 events, the planners, abusers or anyone, will be punished as per the law and Constitution,” the prime minister said while addressing a meeting in Lahore, summoned to review the law and order situation.

Terming May 9 the ‘darkest day in Pakistan’s history’, PM Shehbaz likened the “PTI’s violence” to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. “TTP set fire to the Jinnah house in Ziarat and the PTI set fire to Jinnah House in Lahore,” he said.

“TTP attacked the GHQ [General Headquarters] and the PTI also did the same,” the premier said, recalling that the Radio Pakistan office in Peshawar was also vandalised during the May 9 riots.

The prime minister said PTI chairman Imran Khan and his followers “stoked terrorism and violence that amounted to anti-state acts”. “They caused damage to such a huge extent that even the enemies of Pakistan could not do in the last 75 years”, he added.

Unfortunately, he observed, these Pakistanis turned into enemies of the country and carried out attacks. “Such agonizing incidents will continue to haunt the nation,” the prime minister regretted.

Seeking progress on the legal proceedings against the culprits, the prime minister reiterated that during previous meetings, it was decided that anyone involved in the incidents of planning, instigating, sloganeering and vandalism would not escape the iron claws of law.

About damages caused to the civilian buildings, it was decided that the cases would be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act and those on military installations would be proceeded under the relevant laws, he maintained.

May 9 events

Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers are agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

Army installations and Corps Commander’s house in Lahore came under attack during a protest of PTI workers.

It was also reported that Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi sustained severe injuries while clearing the Lahore Corps Commander’s house.