Islamabad: Pakistan’s National Assembly Monday passed a resolution to hold trial of individuals involved in the recent attacks on military and state installations under the existing laws including the Army Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The resolution, moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, was adopted by the lower house of Parliament after a majority of lawmakers voted in favour of it.
It vowed to try the May 9 rioters, who were involved in attacks on military and state installations, under the existing laws including the Army Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s house, Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time.
Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.
Thousands of Khan’s supporters were arrested following the violence that the powerful Army described as a “dark day” in the history of the country.
The resolution adopted Monday stated that the “heartless and heart-wrenching incidents took place May 9” and the day should be “reckoned as a Black Day”.
It stated that relevant authorities will be empowered to tackle social media propaganda against Pakistan’s institutions, both within and outside the country.
“Those involved in such propaganda campaigns should strictly be dealt with as per the law,” it read.
Speaking on the occasion, Asif said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s top leadership was involved in the violence and law would take its course to punish those responsible for arson.
“The culprits will be punished under the existing laws both military and civilians,” he said.
Addressing the House, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the lawmakers for supporting the resolution. “No new law is being enacted and the existing laws will be used,” he said, adding that those who attacked the military targets would be tried under the existing military laws.
He also accused former premier Khan of being involved in corruption.
Last week, the top military brass vowed to bring the arsonists, who attacked the civil and military installations, to justice through trial under relevant laws of the country, including the stringent Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act.
Separately, the Prime Minister reiterated that “May 9 will always be remembered in Pakistan as a Black Day” and the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
“I am confident that the law will take its course and those involved in this terrorism will be brought to justice so that such events are not repeated until the end of this world,” he said while addressing an event in southwestern Balochistan province.
The premier also said that the nation was standing in solidarity with the martyrs of Pakistan.
He said that the events of May 9 are a “depiction of anti-Pakistan and terrorist” agenda as witnessed by destruction of the Jinnah house in Lahore.
“This can’t be the doing of a Pakistani person. This is the work of terrorists and anti-state elements,” he said.
Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, 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.
PTI