Chief of Army Chief General Asif Munir has ruled out any chance of deal with planners and architects of May 9.
COAS, according to a press release issues by the ISPR, said those who planned the incident made mockery of the country in entire world.
Meanwhile, ruling parties, their supporters have observed May 9 with a resolve not to let those involved unpunished. They kept holding press conferences and issuing statements entire day, condemning the tragic event on first anniversary.
The government has declared the day as “Black Day” terming it a demarcation between those sacrificing for Pakistan and those who compromised Pakistan.
The government on Thursday called a special meeting of the federal cabinet to show a joint resolve of the nation again the blackest day of Pakistan’s history and a commitment to move forward not let those involved.
President Asif Ali Zardari said May 9 will be remembered as a dark day in Pakistan’s history. He said it was a day when a politically instigated group challenged the nation’s patience and attacked the country’s property and military installations. The President in his statement said, “Unfortunate incidents severely tarnished the country’s image, which only served the interest of Pakistan’s enemies.” Terming the incidents as an attempt to challenge the writ of the state, he expressed pride in Pakistan’s armed forces.
He emphasized that those responsible for the May 9 violence should be held accountable according to the law and affirmed that any attempt to misuse the right to peaceful demonstrations to incite violence would never be tolerated. He stressed the current political situation demands that all political parties work towards promoting tolerance, democratic values, and political dialogue, and provide a clear direction to the nation.
He urged political parties, Parliament, the media, and civil society to strengthen democracy by upholding the rule of law and fostering a culture of tolerance, political dialogue, and inclusivity. He regretted and condemned the malicious social media campaign against state institutions, calling for a mechanism to control it.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that it was very unfortunate that May 9 responsible were not yet punished despite one year having passed.
Addressing a special event, he said that a particular political party on this day made efforts to destabilize Pakistan and start fighting between the defense forces and citizens. It was a heinous effort of the agitated political group to damage Pakistan and bring armed forces and people to face each other. It was rebellious against the country and state institutions, but the armed very wisely thwarted this move of the internal enemies of Pakistan. He said that all involved in this crime would not be left unpunished. Pakistan People’s Party parliamentarians also attended this meeting and said that everyone knows who was behind this crime against the state of Pakistan. The federal ministers demanded that all behind this rebellion be punished within no time.
Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazir Tarar also presented a fact-finding report in this meeting. A House committee compiled this report on the May 9 incidents and held PTI’s top command responsible for staging May 9. Federal Defense Minister said that everyone knows who were the main characters of May 9. Everyone knows who was taking foreign funding and who nominated Imran Khan for staging May 9. He said that if attacks on the parliament and the PTV building had been punished, May 9 would not have happened.
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that a judicial commission be formed to investigate May and everyone should accept the findings and recommendations of this commission. Baluchistan assembly passed a resolution showing solidarity with armed forces.
Similarly, the military establishment in Pakistan also condemned May 9 and its handlers.
The military establishment once again ruled out any negotiations with PTI leadership. PTI’s founding chairman, one the other side, also refused to apologize for the May 9 riots and said he is ready to face an inquiry into the sit-in that his PTI staged in 2014. He said he was under detention at the time and was unaware of those protests. He reportedly said that he became aware of the protests when he appeared before the then-chief justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial. “I had already condemned those violent protests,” he added. Two days earlier DG ISPR Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in his press conference ruled out dialogue with PTI unless the party leadership tendered a public apology over the May 9 protests. However, Mr. Khan also said that if the military establishment is not interested in dialogue, PTI will not pursue it either.
The information ministry organized an event on May 9 which the Prime Minister has addressed. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), in collaboration with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), organized a special prayer ceremony. (By Rana Kashif)
