May 9 riots: Military courts to take up cases against 16 miscreants

Six military courts will handle cases against those who desecrated statues of Colonel Sher Khan and other heroes

PESHAWAR:

Cases against 16 miscreants will be heard by the military courts who were allegedly involved in attacking military installations and disrespecting memorials of the martyrs following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government officials said that six military courts will handle the cases against those who desecrated the statues of Colonel Sher Khan Shaheed and other national heroes in Mardan and other places.

They stated that trials for the apprehended culprits, including Shahzeb, Rehmatullah, Adnan, Shakirullah, Syed Alam and Yaser Nawaz, will take place in military courts.

An anti-terrorism court in Mardan has accepted the plea to proceed with cases against the accused under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act for their involvement in the attacks.

According to officials, the K-P Police had arrested the culprits from various locations.

Additionally, military courts will also handle cases against 10 arrested individuals from Malakand, Dera, and Bannu. Among these, four individuals were arrested from Malakand, three from Dera, and three from Bannu on charges of attacks on military and state installations.

Read more: Vandal of Col Sher Khan statue arrested in Mardan

The officials further disclosed that approval has been granted to move forward with the cases of 16 individuals in military courts so far.

Last week, the Mardan Police conducted a major operation resulting in the successful arrest of the accused responsible for vandalising the statue of Colonel Sher Khan Shaheed.

The accused, identified as Rehmatullah, was apprehended from the Gujargarhi area in Mardan. The arrest was made possible with the assistance of video evidence and the dedicated efforts of investigative agencies, said police in a statement.

Rehmatullah was reportedly captured on camera while committing the act of vandalism, which played a crucial role in tracking him down.

The incident of statue desecration took place outside the Punjab Regiment Centre, located in Mardan. The act of destruction not only outraged the local community but also drew widespread condemnation from citizens across the country.

Colonel Sher Khan, a renowned military officer and recipient of Pakistan's highest military honour, the Nishan-e-Haider, is revered as a national hero.