Retribution

Let the culprits be exposed and justice done


June 09, 2023

May 9 vandalism is under the scanner. Army’s top brass has once again reiterated its resolve to bring to book culprits who stormed national and military installations on the fateful day. There is, however, a national consensus in it, and political forces across the board believe that retribution must be done. The spokesperson for armed forces, in a presser, said that political leaders and workers were arrested on the basis of ‘irrefutable evidence’ and there is no truth in the smear campaign that a vendetta is at work. The announcement came after Army Chief Gen Asim Munir presided over the 81st Formation Commanders Conference, which decided to hold trials of perpetrators and instigators under Army Act and Official Secrets law. It also took strong notice of social media campaigns intended to put Pakistan and its armed forces in bad light by painting a picture of alleged human rights’ violations.

The nation is in a state of shock, and there is unanimity of approach in condemning the unprecedented violence that took place in the wake of the former PM’s arrest from the court premises in Islamabad. The political tit-for-tat on the streets in the form of going berserk was unacceptable and needs to be fixed. Thus, the military leadership wants to address this issue with utmost resilience and wants justice to be done in its right perspective, and in real time. The government and the security forces plan to apply relevant civil and military code, and let the trial and tribulation come full circle. This will help in sending a resounding message that such nuisance is intolerable, and there cannot be any room for anti-state activity in the grab of political dissent.

Pakistan is passing through a critical phase and is a victim of severe political instability and economic slump. In such a scenario, any effort to harm national unity poses an existential threat. The armed forces are the only institution that enjoys the confidence and admiration of the nation, and this episode of ruckus has come as a challenge. Let the culprits be exposed and justice done.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2023.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ