Amnesty International demands release of ‘all peaceful protesters’ implicated in May 9 cases

Rights organisation Amnesty International on Thursday demanded the release of “all peaceful protesters under detention” and called on the government to ensure the right to a fair trial for all those implicated in cases related to the May 9 riots.

During the riots in May last year which took place after PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested in the Al Qadir Trust case, at least 10 people lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries, while approximately 40 public buildings and military installations were damaged, including Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) and Askari Tower in Lahore, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Office in Faisalabad, FC Fort in Chakdara, Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, Toll Plaza at Swat Motorway and the Mianwali Air Base.

In total, 62 outbreaks of violence were documented, inflicting a loss of Rs2.5 billion on the country, of which, according to the State, Rs1.98 billion in losses were suffered by the army.

To this day, the military says the events were a coordinated attack by the PTI leadership.

On the anniversary of the riots today, Amnesty said: “The military and police used unlawful force against protesters, arbitrarily detained thousands, over a hundred of whom were detained in military custody, and imposed blanket suspension of mobile internet and social media platforms lasting several days.”

It said that “scores” of protesters were still in custody, implicated in multiple cases and were repeatedly denied bail. It added that 85 protesters were currently under military custody and being tried in military courts in a “blatant violation of international human rights principles”.

Amnesty said it was concerned about the prolonged detention of women protesters, including PTI’s Sanam Javed, Yasmin Rashid and Alia Hamza, and the violation of their pre-trial rights through “persistent denial of bail”.

“There has been a pattern of filing new cases and arrests after bail is granted in existing cases to keep protesters under custody. Families of those under civilian and military custody have been severely impacted, many losing their sole breadwinners and bearing the emotional brunt of their absence,” Amnesty said.

It called on government to unconditionally release all peaceful protesters under detention and ensure the right to a fair trial was provided to those implicated in the protests as per its obligations under international human rights law.

“Immediately suspend trials of civilians through military courts,” it further said and also called to end practices impeding the right to protest, including laws that penalised protesters and blanket bans on protests through imposition of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

PTI reiterates call for ‘independent, impartial, high-level judicial investigation’ on May 9

Meanwhile, the PTI issued a statement on X in a “response to the false propaganda campaign of the state”.

It said it was standing firm on the basic demand of an independent, impartial and high-level judicial investigation on May 9’s event, “despite being subjected to brutal oppression, fascism and bullying for a year”.

“A lie could not be made true in one year,” the party said.

PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan also said that the PTI was waiting for an impartial and independent enquiry to determine the factors of the events on May 9.

He said “hundreds of people remained unjustly incarcerated causing indescribable suffering and pain” to them and their families.

“This must end,” Hasan said in a post on X.

He said Pakistan had incurred immeasurable damage because of such “gory indulgences” in the past and it was “too weak to continue suffering these travesties:.

“The cruel strangulation of the state must end. Let it breathe. Let people breathe,” he said.

Separately, party leader Malik Amir Dogar said that May 9 was a “huge conspiracy and the darkest day in the country’s history”.

PTI alleges arrests on May 9, again

Earlier today, the party alleged that an attempt to arrest party leader Barrister Ali Gohar was made by the “anti-terrorist squad”, adding that such “disgusting, criminal and illegal” acts were unnecessary.

“Such attempts are a direct assault on democracy,” the party said in a post on X.

PTI leader Hammad Azhar said that Pakistan had descended into a “dark fascist abyss”.

PTI calls for way forward

Meanwhile, voices from the PTI also called for a way forward. Barrister Gohar said while talking on Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’ that “this clash of titans must end, there should be a ceasefire and let’s move forward.”

He said the party’s stance was that a “window” should always remain open.

Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur also said while addressing a rally in Dera Ismail Khan: “Let’s announce a general amnesty. Let us move forward.”

He said he was ready to apologise if the military spokesperson, referring to the press conference of the director general of the Inter Services Public Relations, could prove the party was to blame for the events of May 9.

“But if we can prove that someone else is the culprit then who would apologise to us? […] You tell me,” he said.

CM Gandapur also warned that if the government tried to instate governor rule in the province, he would take over the Governor House using force.

“We will control the chief minister’s house and the governor’s house,” he said.

Earlier today, former president Arif Alvi said that the only route out of the current crisis was to come to the negotiating table.

“Imran Khan says if they want to talk, we’ll talk,” Alvi said while talking outside Adiala Jail, referring to the establishment. He added that Imran had emphasised working within the bounds of the Constitution.