ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday described last year’s May 9 riots as a “conspiracy” aimed at derailing democracy Pakistan and inciting a mutiny against Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, as supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan held “peaceful” protests in many parts of the country.
Alleged supporters of ex-PM Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after his brief arrest that day in a graft case. The attacks took place a little over a year after Khan fell out with Pakistan’s powerful military, blaming the institution for colluding with his rivals to oust him from office in a parliamentary vote in April 2022. The military rejects the allegations.
Pakistan’s incumbent government, comprising Khan’s political rivals and led by PM Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), is observing the anniversary of the day today, Thursday, under the slogan “May 9, Never Again.”
“The real aim of May 9 was to end democracy, bury the constitution and establish the dictatorship of one man,” Sharif said, referring to Khan as he addressed a special meeting of the federal cabinet at Parliament House.
“The disgusting May 9 plan was not only a conspiracy and revolt against Pakistan, this was a revolt against Pakistan’s armed forces, and this was a mutiny against army chief Asim Munir,” Sharif added.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said all those responsible for the May 9 violence should be punished.
“There should be accountability for the May 9 riots and the nation should know the facts,” Asif said, flanked by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. “PTI supporters were involved in the violence.”
Tarar urged the judiciary to punish all those involved in the attacks, wondering why the courts hadn’t done so already.
Hundreds of PTI workers and leaders were arrested following the May 9 riots in a state crackdown on charges of involvement in the riots, and some continue to remain behind bars as they await trial. The military has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence. Many close Khan aides have since deserted him, due to what is widely believed to be pressure from the army, which denies interfering in politics.
“NO COMPROMISE OR DEAL”
During a visit to the Lahore Garrison on Thursday where he laid a floral wreath at a monument for Pakistani soldiers who died in the line of duty, the army chief said May 9 would remain a “dark day” in the country’s history, adding that rioters had attacked symbols of the state, national unity and desecrated monuments of martyred soldiers.
Khan and the PTI say the May riots have been used as a ruse by political rivals and the military to crack down on the party, which is arguably the most popular in Pakistan. Khan has also been indicted under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism law in connection with the violence. A section of Pakistan’s 1997 anti-terrorism act prescribes the death penalty as maximum punishment. Khan has denied the charges under the anti-terrorism law, saying he was in detention when the violence took place.
Without naming anyone, Munir said the “plotters” of the attack were trying to twist the narrative.
“This mindset is precisely the reason why there can be no compromise or deal with the planners and architects of this dark chapter in our history,” he said.
He said the “real leaders” of the May 9 riots would be held accountable and there was “irrefutable evidence” of their complicity in the attacks.
“CRACKDOWN”
The crackdown on the PTI has continued well after May 9, and the party has complained that it was not allowed to campaign freely in Feb. 8 general elections as many of its candidates were arrested, their candidatures refused by the election commission and the PTI party itself stripped of its iconic bat symbol, forcing hundreds of its members to contest using different symbols. Khan himself was ruled out of the election after a slew of convictions and jail sentences.
On Thursday, the PTI said it would be organizing “peaceful” gatherings across the country to express solidarity with Khan, who has been in jail since August last year and convicted in four separate cases.
The PTI says the May 9 protests were a “natural reaction” to Khan’s arrest and has distanced itself from the violence that broke out on that day.
“We are taking out peaceful rallies in different cities to highlight the atrocities committed against innocent PTI leaders and supporters in the garb of May 9 violence,” PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen told Arab News.
“May 9 was clearly a false flag operation to decimate the PTI and put our leaders and workers in jails,” he said, adding that Punjab police had raided the homes of party leaders and suppirters in different districts to scuttle protests.
Omar Ayub Khan, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and a close Khan aide, said on Wednesday night police in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province were raiding the homes of PTI leaders and supporters to scuttle public events planned for the May 9 anniversary.
“Condemn the Punjab Police crackdown against PTI parliamentarians and activists all across Punjab last night,” Omar said on X. “9th May 2023 was a ‘False Flag Operation’ against PM Imran Khan and PTI.”
“Regardless of the crackdown, peaceful rallies and protests will be held across Pakistan in the morning,” he added.
Separately, the PTI wrote on social media platform X that their women leaders Rehana Dar and Ruba Dar were arrested by police while protesting peacefully.
