- Laws’ hands have so far reached collars of activists: Asif
- He says justice should have been served swiftly like in US, UK.
- Minister laments heroisation of those who insulted martyrs.
Reacting to the military court’s verdict against culprits involved in May 9 riots, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said the exercise of using violence in politics would not end until the orchestrators of the horrible day were brought to the justice.
“The laws’ hands have so far reached collars of the activists who were used [in the incident],” Asif said in a post on his social media account, X.
As per the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military courts have handed down punishments to 25 individuals involved in the May 9, 2023, attacks on state installations.
“Field General Court Martial (FGCM) have in [the] first phase promulgated the punishments to 25 accused,” the military’s media wing on Saturday said, about the suspects who resorted to violence during the May 9 protests.
The protests broke out after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was taken into custody in a graft case. In turn, scores of PTI workers were arrested and more than 100 civilians are facing military trials.
However, the party maintains that it had no role in the incidents involving military installations, including the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ), and has called for a judicial probe into last year’s events.
The military’s media wing added that the promulgation of the sentences of remaining accused is also being done and will be announced shortly as and when the due process is complete.
“All convicts retain the right to appeal and other legal recourses, as guaranteed by the law and the Constitution,” the ISPR said in the statement.
The military trials were initially halted after a Supreme Court ruling; however, the constitutional bench had last week directed that the cases pending due to the earlier order be finalised and judgements in the cases of those accused found involved in these violent incidents be announced.
Explaining the attacks, the ISPR said that on May 9, the nation witnessed tragic incidents of politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in his post on X, Asif maintained that justice should have been served swiftly like in the United States and United Kingdom as the delay boosted the morale of the culprits and their facilitators, who avoided condemnation of the dark day as well.
He lamented that that those who avoided condemnation and disrespected the martyrs and victors were heroised. Anti-national elements would continue to encourage them, he added.
Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori said punishment of those involved in May 9 incident had raised the hope. However, he said, the political party’s leadership too should have been punished.
“They should be punished who pushed the youth forward. Dismantling the martyrs’ monument is an intolerable act,” he said, adding that it would be justice only after those involved in May 9 incidents were punished.