PM Shehbaz vows to bring to justice ‘planners’ of May 9 events

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday vowed to bring to justice the ‘planners and leaders’ of the May 9 events – wherein military installations were attacked following arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, ARY News reported.

The prime minister made these remarks while addressing a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) – the apex national body that oversees security matters. The meeting was convened to review the law and order situation following ‘violent protests’ after Imran Khan’s arrest.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Sahir Shamshad Mirza were also present at the meeting.

Addressing the NSC meeting, PM Shehbaz said that the planners and leaders of the May 9 events, who attacked military installations will be punished and brought to justice.

“Our nation has demanded that those who are sinful, in any regard, should be punished so that such an incident does not take place ever again,” the premier added.

PM Shehbaz pointed out that the events of May 9 – the day Imran Khan was arrested – have ‘shammed Pakistan’ and brought a lot of ‘disgrace and infamy’. “May 9 will be remembered as the darkest chapter in this country’s history,” he added.

Speaking of the vandalism of Corps Commander House Lahore, the prime minister said that Jinnah House is not just a building, it housed the sons that protected Pakistan. “The events forced us to think that what was the ideology, group or person behind setting on fire the love of Pakistan,” he added.

“The NSC meeting today expresses solidarity with the Pakistan Army and condemns these incidents and law will take its course,” he said, adding that no one will be given undue punishment but those who are guilty won’t be spared.

He concluded by saying that whoever planned and incited the vandalism they were certainly guilty of ‘terrorism’, but they also managed to do what Pakistan’s eternal enemy did not manage to do in the last 75 years.”

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting agreed to bring to justice the “spoilers” involved in the recent attacks on military installations on May 9.

The meeting was briefed that the ‘violence was perpetrated by extremist elements’ under a well-planned conspiracy. Videos and evidence of the incidents are present, and over 5,000 culprits responsible for the arson and violence have been arrested.

The National Security Committee also expressed complete solidarity with the armed forces. The forum also lauded the recent intelligence-based operations.

Protests

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.

Imran Khan’s arrest

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday.

The PTI chief was taken into custody by Rangers personnel, who were acting on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) warrant, from the premises of Islamabad High Court where the former premier had gone to seek bail in multiple cases registered against him.

Later, Islamabad High Court (IHC) barred authorities from arresting PTI Chairman Imran Khan in all cases, even those are undisclosed, registered across the country until Monday (May 15).

The court also granted protective bail to PTI chief in three terrorism cases registered against him in Lahore and stopped authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any case registered in Islamabad after May 9.

Justice Jahangiri also approved Imran’s protective bail in a case pertaining to the death of Zille Shah — a PTI worker who was killed during a party rally in Lahore earlier this year — for 10 days against surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted protective bail to former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case, a day after the Supreme Court ruled his arrest “unlawful”.