Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday said the planners, facilitators and attackers in the incidents of May 9 would be brought to justice.

While chairing a high level meeting on law and order here, he said May 9, 2023 would always be remembered as a dark day in the history of the country.

He said miscreants did what even the enemy could not do in the last 75 years, adding the manner in which terrorists burned down the residency of Quaid e Azam in Ziarat, was the same way the sanctity of Jinnah House in Lahore was violated.

The PM said it should be kept in mind that Tehreek e Taliban attacked the General Headquarters (GHQ) and unfortunately this time the workers of Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf (PTI) attacked GHQ and burnt Radio Pakistan Peshawar to ashes.

Many tragic incidents occurred in the country which would be cause of mental anguish for the whole nation forever, he said adding it was not a joke to attack installations of Pakistan Air Force and cause damage of billions of rupees to properties. He mentioned that the gangs of Imran Niazi in Mianwali made an evil attempt to burn airplanes which were purchased with the blood and sweat of the nation and were to be used against the enemy. He directed that legal requirements should not be ignored in haste and during the identification of attackers it should be ensured that no innocent was arrested.

He said the services of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and security agencies should be acquired to tighten noose around the miscreants as early as possible. The prime minister said every patriotic Pakistani was hurt today as their fellow citizens attacked civil and military installations. Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the role of Police, Intelligence Bureau, NADRA, Counter Terrorism Department, Federal Ministry for Information and Broadcasting and Safe City for tackling the situation.

He instructed the Inspector General Police Punjab to arrest the miscreants at the earliest and conclude proceedings of cases without leaving any loophole in the investigations. He ordered that the progress in cases should be monitored on hourly basis.

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Tarar, Advisor to PM Ahad Cheema, Special Assistants Attaullah Tarar and Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Secretary Interior, Chief Secretary Punjab, IG Police Punjab and other officers attended the meeting.

Shehbaz Sharif said that May 9 was the darkest day in the history of Pakistan when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan Niazi led miscreants torched Quaid’s (Corps Commander) House in Lahore like the terrorists had set Quaid’s Residency in Ziarat on fire during 2013. The prime minister said on May 9, Imran Niazi 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.

The prime minister further equated attack on GHQ by the PTI leaders and supporters to the one mounted by the terrorist outfit TTP in the past. He said the terrorists had attacked naval facility in Karachi in the past and the PTI leader and his supporters damaged the plane in Mianwali which had been used to defend the country. Unfortunately, he observed these Pakistanis turned into enemies of the country and carried out attacks. Radio Pakistan and several other buildings were attacked, he added. “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.