Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday once again targeted PTI chief Imran Khan and his supporters. He termed the violent protests triggered after Khan's arrest 'act of terrorism'. The PM vowed to bring to justice the planners and leaders of the violent protests that targeted military installations and "disrespected martyrs" as he termed the incidents of May 9 as the "darkest chapter" in the country's history.
"I believe that whoever planned this and incited the vandalism … they are certainly guilty of terrorism, but they also managed to do what Pakistan's real enemy could not do in the last 75 years," Sharif told the National Security Committee meeting, which was attended by top civilian and military leadership, including Army chief Gen Asim Munir.
The Prime Minister was referring to the violent protests following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on May 9 that led to several deaths and dozens of military and state installations being destroyed by the protesters.
For the first time in Pakistan's history, the protesters stormed the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and also torched the Corps Commander's house in Lahore.
"Whatever happened on May 9 will be remembered as the darkest chapter in the country's history," he said, referring to the events that unfolded on the day.
"We never saw such a heinous scheme (playout) in the last 75 years," Sharif said, adding that the protesters went to the army headquarters, the air force base in Mianwali and the spy agency ISI's office in Faisalabad.
"Jinnah House is not just a building … It housed the sons that protected Pakistan. But they destroyed it - in fact, reduced it to ashes," he said, referring to the attack on the Lahore Corps Commander's house by Khan's supporters.
Prime Minister Sharif vowed that the planners and leaders of the May 9 events, who attacked military installations and "disrespected our martyrs", will be punished and brought to justice.
"The culprits should be taken to task to set an example so that no one can dare repeat such incidents in future," he said, adding that he issued directives that innocent people should not be touched.
He also called for preparing legal, constitutional and administrative measures to prevent a repeat of such incidents. He asserted that the culprits involved in the heinous crimes would not be spared at any cost.
"I believe that the NSC meeting today expresses solidarity with the Pakistan Army, condemns these incidents and law will take its course … no one will be given undue punishment but those who are guilty won’t be spared," he said.
"All of us are compelled to think that what was the ideology, group or person behind setting on fire the love of Pakistan," he said, adding that such gruesome events have shamed Pakistan and brought a lot of disgrace and infamy.
He added that the entire nation is standing behind their armed forces. Punjab Inspector General Police Dr Usman Anwar told a press conference on Sunday that over 3,500 people have been arrested in Punjab province for their involvement in the violence that erupted after Khan's arrest. He said most of them will be tried in anti-ism courts. The Pakistan Army's top-brass on Monday vowed to bring to justice the "spoilers" involved in the recent attacks on military installations through trials under relevant laws including the stringent Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secret Act.
The army's move to include the tough Army Act and the Official Secrets Act is a serious provision in which Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters could be slapped with charges that can lead to either a death sentence or life imprisonment.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
(With PTI input)
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