Islamabad, 7 Jun: Pakistan’s powerful army Wednesday vowed to tighten the “noose of law” around “planners and masterminds” who mounted a “hate-ripened and politically-driven rebellion” against the state, nearly a month after former prime minister Imran Khan’s supporters vandalised military installations to protests his arrest in a graft case.
The decision was taken during the 81st Formation Commanders Conference -chaired by Army chief General Syed Asim Munir – at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army said in a statement.
“Hostile forces and their abettors have been trying hard to create societal division and confusion through fake news and propaganda but all such designs will continue to be defeated with the full support of the nation, InshaAllah,” Gen Munir told the meeting which was attended by Corps Commanders, Principal Staff Officers and all Formation Commanders of the Pakistan Army.
He reiterated that the Pakistan Army would remain committed towards the national obligations of safeguarding the “territorial integrity and sovereignty” of the country.
The forum condemned the incidents of “May 9 Black Day” and in the strictest sense reiterated their “first resolve that desecrators Shuhada Monuments, Jinnah House and attackers of military installations would certainly be brought to justice speedily under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act which are the derivatives of the Constitution of Pakistan,” the ISPR said.
It said that the efforts to create distortions and attempts to take refuge behind imaginary and mirage human rights violations to create a smoke screen for hiding the ugly faces of all involved, are absolutely futile and do not stand the abundantly collected irrefutable evidence.
“It has been further stressed that, while the legal trials of perpetrators and instigators have commenced, it is time that noose of law is also tightened around the planners and masterminds who mounted the hate-ripened and politically driven rebellion against the state and state institutions to achieve their nefarious design of creating chaos in the country,” the statement said.
The forum resolved that endeavours by any quarter to “create obstructions and stymie the conclusive defeat of ill-design of inimical forces will be dealt with iron hands”.
The participants dismissed as “unfounded and baseless” the allegations of custodial torture, human rights abuses and stifling of political activities, saying these to meant to mislead the people and malign Armed Forces in order to achieve trivial vested political interests.
The forum was also briefed on the prevalent environment, challenges to security i.e. both internal and external and their own operational preparedness in response to evolving threats, both traditional and non-traditional, the statement said.
The forum was also briefed on the structural changes and niche techno-logies being incorporated to enhance operational preparedness besides up-gradation of essential logistic infrastructure corresponding to emerging security imperatives.
On May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad. His party workers vandalised over 20 military installations and government buildings, including the Lahore Corps Commander House, Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time. Khan was later released on bail.
The violence elicited a strong reaction from the government and military with vows of taking action against the culprits, leading to an ongoing crackdown against those involved.
Law enforcement agencies have arrested over 10,000 workers of Khan’s Pakistan party across Pakistan, 4,000 of them from Punjab province.
The Punjab Home Department has constituted 10 different joint investigation teams to probe into the attacks and violent protests on May 9, which the army dubbed “Black Day”. (PTI)