No compromise or deal with May 9 planners and architects: COAS

LAHORE: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir said that there can be no compromise or deal with the planners and architects of the May 9 tragedy, terming it the ‘dark chapter in our history’.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army Chief passed these remarks while addressing the Garrison officers and soldiers at Corps Headquarters in Lahore.

General Syed Asim Munir said that 9th May 2023 will undoubtedly remain a black day in the history of Pakistan when ‘deliberately indoctrinated and insidiously guided miscreants’ attacked the symbols of the state and national unity, disgracefully desecrating the Shuhada monuments.

“Due to these deplorable acts of criminally orchestrated violence, enemies of Pakistan were provided the opportunity to mock the state and the nation. COAS deplored that now the same plotters were brazenly and shamelessly trying to twist the narrative and implicate the state in this despicable endeavour,” he added.

General Syed Asim Munir said that those gullible elements—who did not understand the real motive behind this criminal enterprise and were used as cannon fodder for the political ambitions of the masterminds—have already been accorded reasonable benefit of doubt on the direction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

However, the Army Chief made it clear that the ‘real leaders’ who present themselves as victims now will be held accountable for their actions, particularly when there is irrefutable evidence of their involvement and complicity in organised violence and sabotage.

The COAS reassured the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army that no one would be allowed to disrespect Shuhada, their families or the institution. Planners, abettors, facilitators, and culprits of 9th May will be brought to justice according to the law.

“Our patience not to respond, to daily provocations in this regard made in brazen violation of the constitution, has limits and it must never be misconstrued as weakness,” the Army Chief said.

The COAS lauded the troops for their services to the nation and appreciated their professionalism. He underscored that inimical forces and their abettors have unleashed digital terrorism and are trying hard to create division between the armed forces and the people of Pakistan by peddling lies, fake news, and propaganda. “The designs of all these forces will be defeated with the support of the nation,” he vowed.

General Syed Asim Munir asserted that every soldier and officer of the Pakistan Army puts his duties and responsibilities first, regardless of any other affiliations or preferences, and continue to render extreme sacrifices on daily basis.

Earlier on arrival, the COAS was received by Commander Lahore Corps. He also laid floral wreath at Martyrs’ Monument and paid solemn tribute to the Shuhada who sacrificed their lives for the motherland.

The COAS was also given detailed briefing on the operational preparedness of the formation. The Army Chief while inaugurating Jinnah Library at Lahore Garrison stated that we being the constructive forces have rekindled the memory of Quaid by building this public library over the piles of ash and rubble created by the destructive forces.