MPs reiterate demand to try May 9 rioters

ISLAMABAD:

Expressing solidarity with the army, the parliamentarians on Tuesday once again demanded taking to task those involved in the May 9 vandalism, saying rioters wanted to disintegrate Pakistan and should not be released under any pressure.

The lawmakers expressed their views during the National Assembly session which was presided over by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

Addressing the House, PML-N lawmaker Javed Latif demanded that the rioters of May 9 should be arrested and tried.

He insisted that those involved in ransacking the government property and military installations should “not be released under any pressure”.

In a witty remark, Latif suggested a second arrest of Imran Khan will work miracles, just like the first, on his leg injury recovery. He recalled that earlier his leg was not healing for the last six months.

Imran had been using a wheelchair for the past few months as he suffered wound on his leg during an assassination attempt in Wazirabad on November 3 last year, citing his injury as reason on multiple occasions for not appearing before courts in a slew of cases.

On May 9, he was taken into custody from the Islamabad High Court premises by Rangers on the orders of NAB and pushed into a vehicle, where he apparently walked without any support and difficulty.

Latif said the country would prosper if PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was brought back to the country after “tendering an apology” to him, adding that this way the “nation would be united and conspiracies will be foiled”.

Terming Imran a “favourite”, he said the judiciary had not given even one decision against him. He said those who resorted to violence on May 9 wanted to disintegrate the country.

Read PTI's K-P leadership mostly intact following May 9 riots

Jamaat-e-Islami’s Maulana Akbar Chitrali also backed Latif’s stance, saying the rioters should be castigated and that they should be tried in civilian courts.

While appreciating the sacrifices rendered by the army, he said state institutions were the assets of the nation.

Referring to the PTI chairman, Salahuddin noted that the accused of May 9 riots was being provided protocol and security.

He said the vandals responsible for the May 9 mayhem were “trained for a long time” after which they carried out attacks on the army installations.

Aslam Bhootani said “several people would have been killed” if an incident like the May 9 had happened in Sindh or Balochistan and called for punishing the culprits without any discrimination.

Javeria Zafar said the havoc was the result of the mindset of the PTI chief.

Javed Hasnain presented a bill, saying the bills tabled by lawmakers become ineffective after the duration of the National Assembly is complete.

He requested that those bills should be accepted by the next assembly.

Ashraf sent the Senate chairman and NA speaker Salaries, Allowances and Privileges Amendment Bill 2023 to the relevant standing committee.

Later, the NA session was adjourned till Wednesday (today).