LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday directed the authorities concerned to arrest the persons behind the vandalism of the Corps Commander House (Jinnah House) in Lahore within 72 hours.
“All the criminals and attackers should be arrested in the next 72 hours. All those who incited, helped, contributed to the chaos should also be arrested within 72 hours,” the PM directed. He maintained that such kind of terrorism is unacceptable.
The PM was chairing a meeting at the Punjab Safe City Authority Headquarters in Lahore. Before arriving at the headquarters, the PM had also visited the Jinnah House. He said that Jinnah House has been burnt down completely adding that the whole nation is in grief. “Terrible events in the history of Pakistan took place on May 9. Corps Commander House is the historic Jinnah House and seeing it [in such a condition] is disheartening,” said the PM.
Attacking his predecessor Imran Khan, PM Shehbaz said that the former prime minister and his “mob” are not less than anti-Pakistan elements. “Those involved in terrorist activities should be convicted as per the law,” said the PM. He assured that the law will deal with the miscreants with an “iron hand”.
The premier also regretted that the martyr’s memorial was also damaged and called for the trial be held against the miscreants in anti-terrorism courts. “If anti-terrorism courts have to be opened at night to punish the criminals, then they should be opened,” vowed the PM and directed the police and the administration to immediately arrest the miscreants as the “whole situation is unacceptable”. The premier in the meeting also directed Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar to increase the number of anti-terrorism courts.
Earlier, PM Shehbaz, along with interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, visited the vandalised Lahore Corps Commander House where he extended solidarity with the country’s military leadership. He later also paid a visit to the Services Hospital to meet with the injured personnel. The PTI has denied involvement in the violence that ensued, terming the ISPR statement “against ground realities”.
