The National Assembly on Monday passed a resolution to initiate proceedings against the elements involved in the vandalism of military installations and martyrs’ memorials on May 9 under the Army Act 1952 without delay even for a single day.
Presenting a motion, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif said the House was of the view that a political party and its chairman while committing blatant violations of the law and the Constitution on May 9 attacked military installations, which caused irreparable loss to the state and its institutions. “Of which, all evidence is available, so in line with the law and the Constitution, proceedings be completed against them without a single-day delay.”
Without taking the name of PTI and its chairman, the resolution stated that one political party and its chairman on May 9 whilst breaching the law and constitution crossed all the boundaries and attacked the military installations.
“These incidents caused an irreparable loss to the state and state institutions,” read the resolution, adding that the agenda of this party is based on “enmity” against Pakistan. The resolution strongly rejected the impression that human rights violations are being committed whilst dealing with the miscreant elements or the culprits of May 9. It said that certain elements are resorting to baseless propaganda on the matter. The resolution said that those involved in the violent acts on military installations must be tried and sentenced under the Army Act 1952 without any delay, saying that in other countries also where military installations are attacked, the authority of trying such persons rests with the forces.
The defence minister said the people and leaders of that party were not ready to take the burden of the party and its chairman’s anti-Pakistan activities and disassociate themselves from it. “It validates that this party and its head’s agenda is based on enmity with Pakistan,” he added. He said the House declared that there were no human rights violations while taking action against miscreants and criminals involved in the May 9 incidents.
In that regard, he said, allegations of a political party and propaganda had no reality. As per the international practice, he said Pakistan too had the legal right to initiate proceedings against such elements under the relevant law. So, all the elements involved in the May 9 vandalism be prosecuted under the Pakistan Army Act-1952 without any delay and get them punished. Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) agreed to give exemplary punishment to perpetrators of the May 9 incidents but opposed their trial under the Army Act.
He viewed that the rioters of May 9 should be tried in the civil and anti-terrorism courts, and his party would accept their decisions. The Defence Minister said all over the world, forces had to take action against those involved in incidents like attacking military installations and Pakistan also had the same legal and constitutional authority. He said no patriot Pakistanis could dare to attack military installations and martyrs’ memorials, but unfortunately, the workers of a political party crossed all the limits on May 9.
He said the armed forces were rendering great services and sacrifices to protect every inch of the motherland and purging the country of terrorist elements. The minister said the nation would never accept insults to the sacrifices of the martyrs and vowed to give exemplary punishment to the anti-state elements. He said it was unfortunate that the party tried to attack the integrity and sovereignty of the country just because of losing the government, which was not acceptable in any way. “You don’t declare war on your country if the power is taken away from you.”
