The legal process to bring to trial the people behind the May 9 vandalism has begun under the Pakistan Army Act, according to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir. During his visit to Jinnah House and an army installation in Lahore, Gen Munir confirmed that the legal process against those involved in the “politically motivated” riots had commenced in accordance with the country’s constitution, under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secret Act. Garrison officers and soldiers at Corps Headquarters were addressed by the COAS, who emphasised that any action aimed at creating a division between the people and the military went against the state. Gen Munir was also given a briefing on the day of the riots, which the military has dubbed ‘Black Day’ – the day when supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ransacked and torched military installations across the country following the arrest of their leader Imran Khan in a graft case.
In a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gen Munir was quoted as saying “Army draws its strength from people and any effort to create wedge between the Army and the people of Pakistan is an act against the State which is neither tolerable nor condonable under any circumstances.”
The COAS emphasized that any hostile or inimical forces and their abettors attempting to create confusion through fake news and propaganda would be defeated with the support of the nation, InshAllah. He also paid tribute to the martyrs of the police and appreciated their professionalism and restraint during the May 9 riots. The COAS visited Services Hospital Lahore and inquired about the wellbeing of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ali Nasir Rizvi, who was injured by “political miscreants” during the May 9 incident. Later, he visited Qurban Lines and met with police officials, paying homage to the martyrs and laying a floral wreath at Martyrs’ Monument.
