The National Assembly on Monday passed a resolution seeking a speedy trial under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 of anyone involved in the May 9 riots that targeted military installations in a violent reaction to the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
Passed unanimously, the resolution was tabled by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. It stressed on expediting action against both the perpetrators and instigators of the May 9 riots under the law and Constitution. While it did not single out any individual or entity by name, the resolution made it clear that one political party—the PTI—and its chairman—Imran Khan—had breached law and the Constitution on May 9 by crossing all boundaries and attacking military installations.
“These incidents caused an irreparable loss to the state and state institutions,” read the resolution, adding that this agenda of the political party is part of its “enmity” with Pakistan. Strongly rejecting the impression that human rights violations had been committed in dealing with the perpetrators of the May 9 riots, it alleged that certain elements were resorting to baseless propaganda to avoid prosecution.
Maintaining that anyone involved in attacks on military installations must be tried and sentenced under the Army Act 1952 without “a delay of even a single day,” it claimed other countries also tried attackers of military installations under military laws. While tabling the resolution, the minister clarified that the government had not enacted any new legislation over the May 9 riots. “Our armed forces are waging a war for the defense of the country and their personnel continue to render their lives for the security of the country,” he said, lamenting that the riots were planned to diminish the sacrifices of martyrs and this could not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Asif also stressed that the exodus from the PTI, with its leaders refusing to take any ownership of the “anti-Pakistan activities,” had further proved that the party and its chairman’s agenda was based on enmity with Pakistan.
Taking the floor of the House, Jamaat-e-Islami MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali said that while he supported prosecutions of anyone who had attacked military installations and desecrated martyrs’ monuments on May 9, he did not support their trials in military courts. However, Asif maintained that the courts had become “biased,” adding that anyone convicted by military courts would have the right to appeal their sentences in civil courts. He claimed they would have three opportunities of appeal: before the Army chief, then a relevant high court, and finally the Supreme Court.
The PTI, in a statement issued by Hammad Azhar, who is currently evading arrest for his alleged role in the riots, condemned the resolution, claiming the government’s resolution in support of military courts would be marked as a “black chapter” in the history of parliamentary politics.