May 9 is not the case of the Pakistan Army rather it is a case of the whole of Pakistan, DG ISPR
No judicial Commission is required on May 9, DG ISPR
If a judicial commission is formed then it must be manded to investigate: the 2014 sit-in, attacks on parliament, supreme court, and PTV, waste of KP resources, letters to IMF, and reasons behind reaching May 9, DG ISPR
Afghanistan behind terrorism in Pakistan, DG ISPR
How people can vote for those committing May 9, DG ISPR
The Pakistan Army has given a loud clear message not to let the May 9 responsibility un-punished besides ruling out any possibility of negotiations with instigating political groups till this crime is publicly admitted and pardoned from the nation. The Director General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif said this stating that no judicial commission is required to be formed in this regard.
Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry today was briefing media over military operations against terrorists in 2024. The DG ISPR responding to a question on May 9 said that such a heinous act was committed to destabilize the country and create unrest in Pakistan by an instigator political group. Without naming PTI, he said that everyone knows who committed this gruesome act in Pakistan’s history.
During this press briefing, a video was played on May 9 incidents in which PTI’s main steam leadership including Dr. Yasmin Rashid and Ijaz Chaudhry could be found giving instructions to attack corps commander house Lahore and General Head Quarters (GHQ) and comminating how attacks against military installations were successfully done. The DG responding to a question on PTI’s demand to form a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 incident said that the people of Pakistan are well aware of the fact that who committed this crime. When it was exposed to the public a narrative was tried to be built that the Army itself committed this incident, but any such effort cannot help save the responsible.
He questioned why a judicial commission is required to be formed over a matter that is already dead clear who committed this incident and why? Yes if such a commission is made then it starts investigations right from 2014 when an agitated political group staged a sit-in, attacked the parliament of Pakistan, attacked the federal capital, supreme court, and PTV building. It should also investigate how youth of the country was fostered with corrupt and so-called political thinking and anti-state sentiments.
Such commission if formed should also investigate letters to the IMF penned to destabilize the country and protests arranged in front of the IMF building in the USA, said General Sharif adding that if responsible of May 9 are not awarded with exemplary punished then no one in Pakistan will remain safe and anti-sate narrative will get fostered.
He said that those involved in London, Paris and America incidents – not against the state institutions – were awarded punishment just to stop it all in future, but in Pakistan an agitated and negative political group is demanding a judicial commission. May 9 cannot be let unpunished and should be punched without delay. He said that no talks would be held with the responsibility of May 9 till they do not accept it publicly and ask pardon from the nation. No talks could be indicated with instigators and agitators trying to destabilize Pakistan in terms of its economy, peace and security, and relations with brotherly and friend countries.
This is absolutely clear why May 9 was committed. Any judicial commission should also investigate the civil disobedience that was launched in Pakistan when electricity bills were burned, social media campaigns were launched against state institutions, and how a way was paved for May 9. Pakistan’s democracy has no threats but just from a particular agitative political group.
Responding to a question on poll rigging, the DG ISPR said that the Pakistan Army only facilitated the election authorities to maintain peace and security during elections and not more than that, those who cry for rigging must go to the relevant forums with clear-cut proof rather than leveling allegations. They should also keep in mind how the people of Pakistan can vote for those planned and executed on May 9.
Replying to a question on blaming Saudi Arabia for dislodging PTI’s government in Pakistan, he said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have historic, concrete, and love-based friendly relations but a so-called political group tried to affect this relationship. This was an effort to stop Saudi investment in Pakistan because that particular agitated group was on the way to destabilize Pakistan, he said adding they could not succeed.
Responding to questions a question on missing persons, he said that an independent commission was already doing good work on that. He said that the government is very serious about resolving this issue and so far, this commission has resolved around 80 percent of cases of the total 10,000 and working on the rest 20 percent.
He said that only so-called politicians and anti-state elements including some NGOs are propagating this issue of missing persons. He said that it was not the issue just in Pakistan rather other countries including the developed ones also have such cases in herders and thousands. He questioned who can rule out the fact that Baluch separatists and terrorists are not hiding in neighboring countries, people leaving Pakistan for other countries, and those hiding at places for terrorist activities.
Such people are even included in the list of missing persons. He said there are examples such as a terrorist killed in Gwadar was included in a list of missing persons and his sister identified him and said he was missing. Responding to a question on the Bahawalnagar incident he said that again a particular political group was campaigning against the relationship of armed forces with the police. He said that the police is a front-line partner of the Pakistan Army against terrorism. He said that investigations were in process to find the real causes.
He informed that Afghanistan was found involved in harboring terrorism against Pakistan. He said that the Bisham incident was an Afghan citizen. Similarly, the vehicle used in that attack was also registered in Afghanistan.
Another terrorist Habib Ullah killed in Pishin was an Afghan citizen. He said border management between two countries could prove beneficial when both countries respond positively. He said that fencing on the Pakistani border with Afghanistan was proving beneficial for Pakistan.
To the question of permitting a foreign country to install air bases in Pakistan, neither it is so nor it will be done. About a question on restrictions on social media, he said that there is no doubt that Article 19 of the constitution of Pakistan grants freedom of speech, but it restricts any such freedom that damages the relationship between two countries, campaigns against state institutions and spreads hatred in society.
He also reiterated that Pakistan will stand by the just and fair cause of the people of occupied Jammu Kashmir and the people of Palestine. He also disclosed border violations by India and said Pakistan was how India is suppressing Kashmiris. Pakistan Army is ready to meet any challenge or adventure thought against Pakistan, he said.
(By Rana Kashif)
