‘Rebellion against state’: PTI slammed as govt, allies condemn May 9 riots

As the government observed the anniversary of the May 9 riots on Thursday, political leaders held press conferences throughout the day and issued statements to strongly condemn the violent events while assailing the PTI for them.

Former premier Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9 last year in the £190m graft case had resulted in widespread violence and saw important military installations come under attack, on the basis of which the state had launched a severe crackdown against his party.

While Imran was released a few days later (he has since been rearrested in a separate case), thousands of PTI workers and almost the entire top-tier leadership were rounded up, with many still facing court proceedings under serious charges.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the violent riots were aimed at ending democracy in Pakistan and establishing an “individual’s dictatorship”.

Addressing a special meeting of the federal cabinet at Parliament House, the premier said: “The real aim of May 9 [incidents] was to end democracy in Pakistan and god forbid, bury the Constitution, and a nefarious goal of establishing kingship and dictatorship of an individual.”

“The impure plan of May 9 was not just a rebellion against Pakistan but against the state, the Pakistan Army and army chief Gen Asim Munir,” he said.

PM Shehbaz said the aim of convening the meeting at Parliament House was to send a message to the nation that “not only will we remember our martyrs and their families till the day of judgment but also to give a message of unity with them”.

“I think that these anti-state elements are displaying the worst enmity in the guise of a friend and a sympathiser,” the prime minister asserted.

He recalled various steps taken by the then-coalition government to save the country from economic default and improve relations with brotherly countries. The premier linked the May 9 attacks to the various corruption cases against Imran and his party.

The premier highlighted that politicians in Pakistan’s history had gone through “strict tribulations” and suffered in jail yet raised the slogan of “Pakistan khappay” and said they “could not even think of saying a word against Pakistan”.

PM Shehbaz said the riots were “not only a planned conspiracy […] but a rebellion against the institutions and Pakistan to divide the country’s public and make them fight [among themselves]”.

The prime minister stated that the attacks were aimed at “breaking apart unity in Pakistan and ending the public’s emotions of affection for the army and spreading civil war through rebellion”, adding the plan for it failed.

Noting that despite a year passing, the suspects involved could not yet be brought to justice and be punished, PM Shehbaz said it was a “stinging question that the entire nation asks itself, us and the institutions, who have been given this responsibility”.

Paramount to bring culprits to justice: ISPR

Meanwhile, the military’s media affairs wing emphasised that bringing the “real culprits of May 9 [riots] to justice” was paramount to ensure no future desecration of the memories of the country’s heroes.

“Bringing the real culprits of May 9 to justice is paramount to ensure that in future, no one dares to desecrate the memories of our heroes and the symbols of our unity through such an unwarranted conduct in future,” the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The armed forces, along with the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and services’ chiefs, strongly condemned the “criminal acts” perpetrated on May 9 last year, terming the day as a “Black Day”.

Recalling the incident, it said “politically motivated and brainwashed miscreants, in an act of rebellion, deliberately resorted to violence against state institutions and vandalised sacred symbols of the state and the sites belonging to national heritage”.

“It was a futile attempt to bring about a misplaced and shortsighted revolution in the country,” the ISPR stated.

“By displaying utmost restraint during this deliberate and brazenly orchestrated violence, Pakistan Armed Forces thwarted the insidious conspiracy by the planners, facilitators and executors who wanted to destabilise Pakistan by inciting confrontation between the people and the armed forces,” the statement added.

It further said that upon “failing to undermine national harmony and stability”, those involved then “embarked upon a sinister campaign of hate against the armed forces and the state with an intent to twist the narrative to their advantage and shift the blame on the state institutions”.

“It is precisely for this reason there can neither be any compromise with the planners, facilitators and executors of May 9 tragedy nor they would be allowed to hoodwink the law of land,” the military asserted.

It renewed the resolve to “defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan and defeat nefarious designs of the enemies of Pakistan, both external and internal”.

Recognising the martyrs and their families as the pride of Pakistan, the armed forces pledged to “uphold their dignity and respect at all costs”.

“Today, let’s join hands to strongly denounce the conspiracies to weaken Pakistan and work together for the prosperity and stability of our beloved country,” the ISPR said.

PM says ‘no soft-pedalling’ of May 9 riots

Earlier today, PM Shehbaz said there “can absolutely be no soft-pedalling” of the May 9 riots.

“There can absolutely be no soft-pedalling of what happened on May 9 and there can be no absolution for those who orchestrated, supported, and assisted the attempt to damage the foundations of our nation,” he said in a post on X.

The premier said that “not only were symbols of our national pride and honour attacked but the sanctity of our sacred homeland was also assaulted” on that day.

“Let not the shadows of lies, hide the light of truth,” the prime minister stated.

“Love of our country demands nothing less,” PM Shehbaz added while using the hashtag “May 9 Never Again”.

In another post last night, the premier had said the day “separated two thoughts of politics — those who sacrificed politics for the state and those who attacked the state for politics”.

“On the one hand, there are the great sons of the nation who shed their blood for their homeland, their great families, and the patriotic public. On the other, there are those characters burning in the fire of hatred, who neither have any pain in their heart for state interests nor have any respect or nobility for national monuments, state institutions, the Constitution or the law,” he added.

PM Shehbaz further said that a year had passed since the events but “Pakistan and the nation have neither forgotten nor will forget their criminals”.

“It is [my] pledge to the holy land, the great martyrs, their families and the nation that May 9 never again,” the prime minister vowed.

He expressed his resolve to move forward towards development to give a bright future to future generations.

Condemnations

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the nation would “neither forget nor forgive” the May 9 attacks, *emphasising that bringing the plotters to justice was necessary, Radio Pakistan reported.

She said those who violated the dignity of the country and the nation for politics could not be forgiven, and vowed to never let incidents like May 9 take place again.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah criticised Imran for spreading “venom and hatred” and for “corrupting the minds of our youth”, who he said “fell victim to the selfishness of one man”.

Addressing an event in Karachi, CM Shah stressed that situations of unrest such as May 9 were where “true leadership is put on display”.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned the May 9 incidents as “yet another dark chapter in the nation’s history”.

In a statement issued last night, the PPP MNA termed the riots a “malevolent scheme aimed at sowing chaos and enforcing fascism in the country”, asserting that justice must prevail for the perpetrators who attacked military installations.

He said the “instigator behind the strongly condemnable events of May 9 is well-known to everyone”.

The coalition government ally, however, said his party supported the PTI’s demand for a judicial inquiry into the incident, which should be overseen by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa. Bilawal emphasised that for the probe to occur, “all parties, including the PTI, must commit to accepting whatever decision the judicial commission arrives at”.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif condemned the riots, deeming them an effort to “compromise” the sovereignty of the state.

Addressing a joint press conference with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar in Islamabad, he said, “You have to dig back to 2013-14 to see how deep the conspiracy goes.”

“One of the sponsors of May 9 (Imran Khan) is sitting in prison, while the rest of these rogue elements have been conspiring since 2013,” Asif alleged.

Stating that while the PTI has since “apologised”, the defence minister maintained that “those whose hands are dirty should be ashamed to demand justice”.

Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said the state was more important than politics and politics can be sacrificed but not the state, Radio Pakistan reported.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he warned, “If justice is not delivered, then another group or movement will cause another May 9.”

Ceremonies, govt meetings planned

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that a resolution regarding the May 9 violence would be passed in the federal cabinet’s special meeting while the law ministry would also present a “white paper”.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Tarar said that the PPP, the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and the National Party (NP) have been invited to the meeting as special invitees to represent the coalition partners.

“For the sake of political and personal interests, a move was made on May 9 [last year], which was never done even by the enemies”, the minister added.

He said that in his opinion, “a lot of concessions” have been given despite Imran’s nephews and all three sisters being allegedly involved in the riots.

The information ministry will also organise a special function — to be addressed by the premier — at the Jinnah Convention Centre in which people from all walks of life have been asked to “pay befitting homage to our glorious martyrs and their families”.

Separately, the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), in collaboration with the ISPR, will organise a special prayer ceremony at Radio Pakistan in Peshawar in connection with the May 9 incidents, the state broadcaster reported.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will be the chief guest while children from different schools in Peshawar will also participate in the ceremony, it said.

Another programme regarding the May 9 events will take place at the Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad, which will be broadcast live by Radio Pakistan, the report added.

Govt dedicates May 9 anniversary to martyrs

As it aims to mark the first anniversary of the May 9 violence that largely targeted military installations and monuments of martyrs, the government has decided to commemorate the day in solidarity with martyrs and their families.

In the lead-up to the May 9 anniversary, electronic media continue to broadcast advertisements recalling violent protests, mobs clashing with the police, attacking and entering the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and vandalising the Lahore corps commander’s residence.

PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari said May 9 will “always be remembered as a dark day in country’s history”, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

The president and the premier recalled that on May 9 last year, “a politically instigated mob ran amok across the country, damaging public property and military installations”.

In his statement issued last night, President Zardari condemned the violence and said that the “unfortunate incidents severely tarnished the country’s image, which only served the interest of Pakistan’s enemies”.

Terming the incident as an “attempt to challenge the writ of the state, undermine the rule of law and weaken the institutions”, the president expressed pride in Pakistan’s armed forces and institutions.

He emphasised that those responsible for the May 9 violence should be held accountable according to law. President Zardari affirmed that any attempt to misuse the right to peaceful demonstrations to incite violence would never be tolerated.

However, he stressed that 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”.

On the other hand, the PTI, which has been at the receiving end of a crackdown after the riots, has planned to organise gatherings across the country to express solidarity with its incarcerated leader ex-PM Imran Khan. In order to counter the PTI’s protests, authorities in Islamabad and Punjab have already imposed Section 144.

According to the PTI, over 10,000 of its workers were arrested, but the government claimed it arrested only a few thousand people. The PTI not only challenged the military court cases in the Supreme Court but also alleged that the riots were a false-flag operation designed and carried out by the establishment to dismantle the former ruling party.

People belonging to different walks of life were visiting Lahore’s Jinnah House on the eve of the first anniversary of May 9 riots, Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.

A delegation of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Punjab Union of Journalists who had visited Jinnah House condemned the desecration of martyrs’ memorials.

They expressed anger over the burning and siege of Jinnah House, adding that there was “no place for such political extremists in Pakistan”, the state broadcaster reported.

A group of Peoples Democratic Alliance and Lawyers also paid a visit to Jinnah House, regretting that despite the passage of one year, the perpetrators of May 9 have not been brought to justice, it said.