The newly appointed senior vice-president of PTI, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, who is also a member of the legal team defending Imran Khan in the cases against him, reportedly said to The News that the PTI chairman has directed him to disassociate from the party or its social media all those who are targeting the institution of Pakistan Army, maligning it, or creating hatred against it. According to him, Imran stressed on dispelling the impression that PTI was against the Army and he also paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the defense forces for their sacrifices for the people and the country and shared the pain of their families whom he considered pride of the nation.
Is it a genuine retraction from his earlier anti-Army narrative after having realized his folly that has landed him into deep trouble after 9th May or a tactical posturing to get some kind of clemency is difficult to conclude readily. Whatever the consideration behind this u-turn may be the thing is that it is rather too late on his part.
The social media warriors of PTI within the country and abroad whom Imran Khan now wants dissociated from the party have been doing persistent anti-establishment propaganda with the nod of approval from him. It was he who after his exit from power as a result of a constitutional process built an anti-Army mindset which culminated in the 9th May attacks on military installations and memorials of the martyrs. It was a classic case of the Frankenstein having turned on his own creators. According to the former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, it was a conspiracy for revolt within the Army. What happened on that fateful day constituted rebellion against the state which is the most serious and unpardonable crime. The Army undoubtedly is the custodian of state security and symbol of national integration. Any attempt to undermine its position or fomenting rebellion within its ranks comes under the domain of sedition.
One is amazed at the audacity of PTI leadership to point an accusing finger towards the agencies for having carried out those attacks while the entire nation watched on their TV screens the faces that unleashed those assaults, including the nephew of the PTI chairman, and also heard the audios of other PTI leaders confirming their involvement. When the state moved to arrest all those involved in these attacks after thorough investigations, including geo-fencing, the party started propagating that these arrests were a violation of the fundamental rights of those individuals and that the women arrested were subjected to maltreatment including rape. That contention though was nullified by the arrested women during their appearance before the court laying bare the falsehood that the party and its leaders were trying to rub in.
The fact that it was the implementation of a pre-planned strategy under the instructions of none other than Imran Khan himself, as confirmed by a number of former stalwarts of PTI who have said adieu to the party and also condemned the 9th May incidents, it leaves no doubt about the mastermind of the scheme.
It is pertinent to mention that the Corps Commanders’ meeting that was held immediately after the 9th May clearly identified PTI as the party behind the attacks and vowed not to spare the persons involved and the mastermind behind them. The National Security Committee as well as the national assembly joined in echoing the same sentiments. What the PTI workers did on the instructions of Imran Khan could not have been done by even our worst enemies in the region.
Nevertheless, the party continued its anti-Army rhetoric with unrelenting intensity till the time Imran has come to the realization that it was difficult for him and his party to come out of the pit that they dug for themselves and have fallen into it. This realization has come only when cases against the involved individuals and Imran himself are moving fast towards their logical end.
It is pertinent to mention that the Corps Commanders’ meeting that was held immediately after the 9th May clearly identified PTI as the party behind the attacks and vowed not to spare the persons involved and the mastermind behind them. The National Security Committee as well as the national assembly joined in echoing the same sentiments. What the PTI workers did on the instructions of Imran Khan could not have been done by even our worst enemies in the region. If it was really a conspiracy for a coup within the Army as revealed by the former Prime Minister, it was a formidable move which if succeeded could have disastrous consequences for the country as well as the institution of the Army. Nobody in his right mind would wish any clemency for such elements who are involved in anti-state acts. There is a need to make an example out of those who conspired and carried out attacks on the Army installations so that nobody could ever think of repeating this folly. The state comes first. Its security and writ take precedence over all other things. Human rights are contingent upon allegiance to the state.
In view of the seriousness of the crimes and the fact that they carried out attacks against military installations, they must be tried in the military courts as decided by the corps commanders and approved by the national security committee and the national assembly. The verdict given by the 5-member bench against these trials in the military courts needs to be revisited. It is generally believed that the verdict given by the like-minded judges headed by Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan was meant to favor PTI.
The question is that if civilians could be tried in the military courts for having attacked APS, then what is the logic in denying that when attacks were carried out directly against the Army installations? As per the Army Act, civilians involved in attacks against Army installations are liable to be tried in the military courts.
Having said that, I am of the firm and considered opinion that the PTI as a party should not be banned or deprived of participation in the ensuing elections. Except those who are responsible for the 9th May mayhem, all other members of the party should be allowed to contest the elections. The experience of banning political parties in the past has not been useful as far as strengthening democracy is concerned. The party, like other political outfits, must be allowed to hold public rallies and conventions without any hindrance. That is imperative to ensure the credibility of the election results. The caretaker government and ECP owe it to the people to hold free and fair elections.
