May 9 riots ‘revolt against state, institutions’: PM

ISLAMABAD: Calling the May 9 last year’s riots a revolt against the state and its institutions, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday the real objective of the violence was to topple democracy, bury the Constitution, and bring dictatorship in the country, besides undermining the national unity to cause social unrest.

Chairing a special meeting of the federal cabinet at the Parliament House, he said May 9 was a black day in Pakistan’s history when the rioters attacked the defence institutions and the monuments of martyrs and Ghazis.

The evil plan of May 9 was not merely a conspiracy against Pakistan but also the state, Pakistan Army, and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir. “But thanks to Allah Almighty that design was thwarted. However, the nation wants to know as to why the culprits were not punished despite passage of a year,” he remarked.

He said holding the cabinet meeting at the Parliament House was aimed to give a message of unity and express solidarity with the nation’s martyrs and heroes.

The Prime Minister viewed that the May 9 attacks were carried out to undermine the then Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government’s efforts to stabilise the economy and normalise strained ties with friendly countries, adding the mayhem was also a bid to cover up foreign funding, Toshakhana, and 190-million-pound corruption scams, and making appointments on key posts without merit.

Exemplifying the riots in the UK and USA, PM Shehbaz said no country could tolerate such heinous crimes against the state institutions.

He said except May 9, the politicians in the country’s history, despite facing tough circumstances, played role in pacifying the situation either through the slogan of “Pakistan Khappay” or tolerated the hardships without uttering a single word against Pakistan.

He said the nation had witnessed the May 9 riots and also those who orchestrated and executed the anti-state conspiracy with some people also confessing the same in videos.He said even today, the anti-Pakistan propaganda was being carried out from abroad, and letters were written by some elements to destabilise the national economy.

He told the cabinet members that the government had already put the country’s economy on the course to stability and thanked the political parties for extending their support. He also expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice of Pakistan for assuring his support to expedite the disposal of tax-related cases involving Rs 2,700 billion.

Apprising the members of his recent Saudi visit, he called it the “most productive and useful” visit of his life. Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said the May 9 incidents were tragic and emphasised that the nation always needed to find a correction course.

He lauded PM Shehbaz for taking immediate action and overseeing the probe into May 9 attacks. The law minister presented before the cabinet a report of a committee formed by the previous caretaker government under interim law minister Ahmed Irfan on May 9 incidents, adding it clearly held the PTI leadership responsible for the riots.

The committee also suggested taking multiple actions like creating awareness among youths and forging national harmony, besides enacting legislation at provincial and federal levels to ensure effective prosecution, he added.

Minister for Privatisation Abdul Aleem Khan said freedom of expression and protest were people’s right but there was always a red line. Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Naveed Qamar said the May 9 incidents showed the perpetrators’ animosity against the state. He, however, called for moving ahead of the condemnations by exposing the real culprits and exonerating the innocent.