May 9 rioters may be tried under Army Act

The top military brass resolved on Monday that those involved in attacks on military installations and personnel would be brought to justice through trials under the relevant laws of the country, including the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secret Act.

A Special Corps Commanders Conference chaired by Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ), also warned that restraint would no longer be exercised in case of attacks on military installations.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the forum took a comprehensive stock of the law and order situation in the past few days that was “created to achieve vested political interests”.

The Special Corps Commanders Conference was held days after violent attacks on government buildings, including sensitive military installations, following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on May 9.

The meeting also took place ahead of the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting to be held on Tuesday (today).

“The forum condemned, in the strongest possible sense, these politically motivated and instigated incidents against military installations and public and private properties,” read the ISPR statement.

During the meeting, the ISPR added, “the commanders also communicated the anguish and sentiments of the rank and file of the army on these unfortunate and unacceptable” incidents.

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 “The forum took comprehensive stock of the law and order situation in the past few days,” the ISPR said, adding that the participants were briefed in detail about the prevailing internal and external security environment.

“The forum was briefed that a well-coordinated arson plan, involving desecration of Shuhada pictures, monuments, burning down of historical buildings and vandalism of military installations was executed to malign the institution and provoke it towards giving an impulsive reaction,” the ISPR said.

“Based on the irrefutable evidence collected so far, Armed Forces are well aware of the planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators of these attacks and attempts to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile,” it added.

“The forum expressed firm resolve that those involved in these heinous crimes against the military installations and personal/equipment will be brought to justice through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan, including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act.”

According to the ISPR statement, the forum also resolved that “restraint will no longer be exercised against perpetrators, spoilers and violators who attack military installations and setups under any circumstances”.

The commanders showed concern over externally sponsored and internally facilitated, orchestrated propaganda warfare, unleashed against the army leadership, meant to create fissures between armed forces and people of Pakistan, and within the rank and file of the armed forces.

“The vicious propaganda of such inimical forces will be defeated with the support of people of Pakistan, who have always stood with the armed forces during all odds,” the ISPR said.

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During the meeting, the commanders stressed the need for strict implementation of relevant laws to penalise the violators of the social media rules and regulations, the ISPR statement continued.

They also stressed the need for national consensus amongst all stakeholders to address the ongoing political instability on a priority basis so as to restore public confidence, reinvigorate economic activity and strengthen democratic process.

“The forum also resolved to support all such efforts to reach this much-needed consensus,” the ISPR said, adding that the Pakistan Army, with the full support of the people of Pakistan, would defeat all nefarious designs of the enemies of the country.

The participants paid rich tribute to the Shuhada, who laid down their lives in defence of the motherland while fighting the menace of terrorism. The forum acknowledged the successful counter-terrorism and intelligence-based operations in the country by the security forces, especially the valiant response given by the troops in the Muslim Bagh attack, and paid rich tribute to the supreme sacrifices made by the brave sons of the soil.