ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said military installations, and public and private properties were attacked along with desecration of memorials of martyrs and Ghazis on May 9 under a “well thought-out plan” which came under purview of “sedition and treason”.
“Imran Khan is the mastermind of instigating armed groups who attacked sensitive military and civilian installations and desecrated the memorials of Ghazis and martyrs on May 9,” the minister said while addressing a news conference.
She said it was decided in the meeting of the National Security Committee yesterday that May 9 would be observed as “Black Day” every year to condemn those who had attacked the country.
“What the armed groups of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did on May 9, the arch enemy of Pakistan could not dare to do in 75 years history,” she added.
“Under Imran Khan’s well-thought-out planning, the PTI armed groups and planted goons attacked the military installations and other important buildings,” she said, adding even hospitals, ambulances, patients and schools were not spared on May 9.
The minister also regretted the desecration of the memorials of martyrs and Ghazis that did hurt the sentiments of the valiant soldiers guarding the country’s borders. The historical building of Radio Pakistan was also set on fire in Peshawar by the “PTI goons”.
Marriyym said it was not a political or public protest by any means, rather it was an act of “anti-nationalism and sedition”, which a handful of armed groups perpetrated at the behest of Imran Khan.
While sitting in Zaman Park which had been turned into a “shelter home” for armed groups, Imran Khan orchestrated the entire saga which was executed by “the PTI goons who even burnt Pakistan’s flag – symbol of the country’s dignity and honour”.
“These people even set ablaze ambulances, hospitals, schools, mosques and animal markets, and this was by no means a political reaction,” she said, adding there would be no concession for any person involved in arson attacks.
She said it was the state’s responsibility to protect not only those who were thrown out of ambulances, but also the school going children.
Those who had damaged the civilian property would be dealt with according to civilian laws, whereas trials of those who attacked military installations would be conducted as per the jurisdiction and relevant laws, the minister maintained.
“The armed forces are the protectors of our borders,” Marriyum said adding those who attacked military installations and state property should be made an example.
Protecting the state and establishing the writ of the state was not the sole responsibility of the government, but all three pillars would have to play their due roles in that regard, she remarked.
She said Zaman Park had become a safe haven for the armed miscreants and the Punjab Government had provided all the evidence in that regard.
The mastermind of May 9 incident was Imran Khan, she reiterated while referring to a video message of PTI leader Murad Saeed who instructed the workers to reach the places they were told by, which was also posted on the official page of PTI when Imran Khan was arrested.
She asked who had shown the miscreants those places for arson attacks. The PTI workers were asked to reach the GHQ and Corps Commander House in the video message, she added.
The minister said Imran Khan himself released a video message from inside the Islamabad High Court saying that there would be more strong reaction from May 9 if anybody dared to arrest him.
Marriyum said there was a clear instruction of Prime Minister Sherhbaz Sharif that no innocent person should be punished and a monitoring committee had been constituted in that regard but at the same time, miscreants would have to face the music.
The police force had been working round the clock for the protection of the people but the “PTI goons” attacked them with petrol bombs and burnt their cars, she maintained.
The minister also reminded that Imran had the habit of using dirty language for police.
Marriyum asked whether any installation, hospital and metro bus or station were set on fire by the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) workers when the three times prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted from the power on the basis of fake cases.
“We are a political party, we have always protested peacefully,” she said.
Imran Khan used state money to create false cases against Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and other political opponents, she said, while clarifying that the PTI chief registered the Al-Qadir Trust in the name of himself and his wife which was against the law.
On the occasion, a video based on Imran Khan and other PTI leaders’ threatening statements to the media was also shown to the media.
She said the May 9 arson attacks were beyond politics, and thanked the people, media and civil society for differentiating between the two things.
Marriyum said it was an attack on the honour and identity of the country and a neighbouring country celebrated the incident.
She said there was now time that the masses should decide whether they wanted to become part of politics which revolved around “Fitna, vandalism and arson” or part of politics which aimed at serving the people who were worried due to political instability that was aggravating the economic stability of the country.
The minister wondered why Imran Khan, who ruined the economy, harmed diplomatic relations with friendly countries, damaged social fabric and attacked on tolerance of society was “untouchable”.
She asked whether he deserved phrases like “good to see you” and “wish you good luck” in the courts.
“This drama must comes to an end and we have to decide …,” she added.
She said the law would take its course according to the jurisdiction wherein such incidents took place and trial would be conducted in accordance with the relevant laws.
To a query, she said when Imran Khan was the PM, he claimed to stand by Pakistan’s manifesto, but offered lifetime extension to the former army chief to prevent his ouster in the wake of no-confidence motion moved by the then opposition.
She recalled all the saga of constitutional violations which were committed by Imran Khan just to save his government, including the dissolution of National Assembly and others.
The minister said Imran Khan claimed that he dissolved the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkwa on the advice of the former army chief and by harassing former Punjab chief minister Pervaz Elahi.
She called Imran Khan’s demand for snap polls as a “drama”, which, she said, must come to an end. Imran Khan did not want election instead he was trying to save his skin in the Rs 60 billion corruption case.
To another query, she said the government had decided that names of all those who had been arrested for arson and vandalism would be made public.
