Ruling alliance wants PTI founder punished after 'confession'

PML-N and PPP say Imran has admitted to orchestrating May 9 riots

LAHORE:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) did not miss out on the opportunity to rain down punches on the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for its "admitted" role in the May 9 riots.

The ruling alliance parties wanted strict action against the PTI founder and supremo. Their demands arrived on the coattails of Imran Khan's reported statement in which he allegedly claimed that his party's intentions were to hold protests outside military installations. As per the PPP and PML-N, this was akin to a confessional statement.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, using the mentioned statement as evidence, said the "culprit" of the May 9 mayhem confessed to planning and masterminding the riots. It is worth mentioning here that the reported statement was about holding peaceful demonstrations. "It is not a party, but an anarchist group whose sole purpose is to harm the state through mischief," the Punjab chief minister claimed. "Zaman Park remains a training ground for the terrorists to make petrol bombs and attack the state." Referring to the injury Imran Khan sustained in a gun attack in Wazirbad, Maryam alleged that the riots were planned behind "the guise of a leg in a cast".

Again, it is worth recalling that Imran Khan's Zaman Town residence, which the government seems keen to establish as the training ground for those involved in the May 9 incident, was constantly under the spotlight of local and international media. Security agencies also kept a watchful eye over the property, whether overtly or covertly.

Maryam Nawaz did not mince words when reacting to Imran's assertion that the demonstrations were intended to be peaceful. "What a peaceful protest it was, in which more than 200 military installations were attacked, air force planes were set on fire, corps commanders' houses burnt, and martyrs' memorials desecrated," the PML-N leader bemoaned.

"Conspiracies to make Pakistan default, write letters to IMF, wave ciphers, and desecrate martyrs' memorials are part of this big conspiracy." The chief minister said that since evidence was available, strict action should be taken against the PTI, which she labeled an evil anarchist group. "It has become a requirement for national security and interest."

She pointed out that it was the same group which "alienated" the friendly countries of Pakistan and used unsuitable language against their leaderships. She accused them of making baseless allegations against China Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Chinese leadership. Maryam continued that they also stopped the visit of the president of China by holding a sit-in.

"In 2014, they attacked parliament, Pakistan Television (PTV), the Prime Minister House, washed dirty clothes on the walls of the police headquarters, and dug graves at D Chowk."

 

Others chime in

Federal Information, Broadcasting, Culture and National Heritage Minister Attaullah Tarar also demanded strict action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its founder who, according to him, orchestrated and facilitated the May 9 conspiracy to attack more than 200 military installations. According to the information minister, the leader of the "Tehreek-e-Intishar" finally confessed to his crime of planning and facilitating the May 9 riots. "His family members were found giving orders outside the Lahore Corps Commander House to attack the building," he claimed.

He accused the PTI of resorting to nothing more than violence, chaos and anarchy to score political points over the bodies of the dead. "Petrol bombs were manufactured at Zaman Park which was used as a training ground for terrorists who were trained there to attack the state," the minister alleged.

Meanwhile, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman also believed that Imran Khan had finally "confessed" that he called for a protest in front of GHQ. "Is this not a confession to his crime?" Rehman asked.

She said he was the one who used to blame institutions and the government for violent protests. "To avoid arrest, he targeted sensitive institutions. Admitting to calling for an attack on institutions and martyrs is not enough. Imran Khan should apologize for his crime.

Admonishing Imran Khan for "lying" about living conditions in jail, she said no prisoners have been given the facility of a video link to give interviews to foreign media from jail. "Those who took away facilities from opponents in jails are now asking for facilities for themselves. This is despite the fact that they have every facility available to them today.'"