RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military spokesperson on Thursday reaffirmed that the perpetrators and facilitators of the May 9, 2023, riots — when mobs allegedly linked to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party targeted and vandalised military and state installations — will be held accountable under the law.
Speaking to journalists, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry clarified that the Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir did not give any interview, nor was there any mention of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or an apology, Radio Pakistan reported.
It may be recalled that the protests broke out on May 9, 2023, when PTI Founder, Imran Khan, was first briefly arrested by the national anti-corruption agency, NAB, in a land bribery case known as the Al-Qadir trust case.
The government says supporters of Khan’s PTI had attacked important state buildings and damaged vehicles during the riots and ransacked military facilities.
Nearly 2,000 people were arrested. The government called out the army to help restore order.
Khan is charged with inciting the violence, among other cases related to the riots.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry remarked that Pakistan is a country with the potential to reshape the destiny of the region, which is why it remains a frequent target of external attacks.
He urged the younger generation to understand and appreciate the legacy and history of Pakistan as an ideological state.
Indian proxies
Commenting on regional threats, DG ISPR said that India believed it could discredit the Pakistani military through coordinated attacks with its terrorist proxies and facilitators. However, he asserted, the opposite occurred—Pakistan and its armed forces responded firmly, leading to India and its allies being discredited.
He further shared that some had claimed India’s multi-billion-dollar military machine could easily defeat Pakistan. Others had suggested a joint offensive, allowing India and its proxies—referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan—to strike together. However, Pakistan confronted its adversaries on both fronts, and the world witnessed its resilience.
Lieutenant General Chaudhry also highlighted that the unanimous political consensus reached in 2014 to eliminate terrorism in all its forms has yet to be fully implemented.
Deportation of illegal Afghan nationals
He noted that whenever action is taken to deport illegal Afghan nationals involved in criminal activities, certain political and criminal elements within Pakistan raise objections. He emphasised that the comprehensive implementation of the 14-point National Action Plan remains essential.
Declaring the people of Pakistan as the nation’s greatest asset, he said that gaps in governance are being bridged daily through the sacrifices of the armed forces, police, and other law enforcement agencies.
