Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that there could be “no absolution” for those who orchestrated the May 9 mayhem, referring to the riots that followed PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
“There can absolutely be no soft-pedalling of what happened on May 9 and there can be no absolution for those who orchestrated, supported, and assisted the attempt to damage the foundations of our nation,” said the premier in a post on X.
He added that on this date, symbols of our national pride, and honour were attacked and the “sanctity of our sacred homeland was also assaulted”.
PM Shehbaz, using the hashtag ‘#May9NeverAgain’, said “love of our country demands nothing less”.
“Let not the shadows of lies, hide the light of truth.”
In a message on the eve of the first anniversary of the riots, President Asif Zardari condemned the violence, saying that the unfortunate incidents severely tarnished the country’s image, which only served the interests of Pakistan’s enemies.
Read Army wants Imran to apologise, shun politics of ‘anarchy’
He termed the mob attacks an attempt to challenge the writ of the state, undermine the rule of law, and weaken the institutions. He emphasized that those responsible for the May 9 violence should be held accountable according to the law.
The president said that peaceful demonstrations and constructive criticism were the essence of democracy, and emphasised that the Constitution enshrined the fundamental rights to assembly and expression.
Nonetheless, he underscored the importance of exercising “these rights with utmost responsibility, adhering strictly to the bounds of constitutional and legal provisions”. Any attempt to misuse “these rights to incite violence will never be tolerated”, he warned.
“The current political situation demands that all political parties work towards promoting tolerance, democratic values, and political dialogue, and provide a clear direction to the nation,” he said, urging political parties, parliament, media, and civil society to strengthen democracy by upholding rule of law.
May 9 riots
Country-wide protests targeting sensitive state and military installations erupted following former premier Imran Khan’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises on May 9, 2023.
The installations attacked included the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the corps commander’s house in Lahore.
The Radio Pakistan premises in Peshawar was also targeted as protesters set fire to the main building.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq took notice of the matter and summoned the Islamabad IGP. Later in the evening, the IHC termed Imran’s arrest from court premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case “legal”.
Justice Farooq observed that Imran’s release order would be issued if any illegality was committed in the compliance of arrest warrants.
However, a day later, the Supreme Court declared Imran’s arrest from the IHC premises ‘illegal’ and directed his immediate release.
The government responded with a mobile internet blockade and a crackdown against PTI leaders, workers, and supporters, as well as those perceived to be allied with the party’s cause within the media and legal fraternity.
The events of the day reportedly left eight protesters dead, over 190 police officers injured and hundreds arrested.
On May 10, Section 144 was imposed across the country and military deployment was ordered in an attempt to quell the riots.
