Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday slammed the May 9 riots, stressing there can be no absolution for the people who “orchestrated, supported and assisted” the attempt to damage the foundations of Pakistan.
In a statement posted on X, the premier said the “shadows of lies” should not be permitted to “hide the light of truth.” Recalling that the violent incidents of May 9, 2023 had seen the “symbols of our national pride and honor” attacked, as well as the “sanctity” of the homeland assaulted, he said there could be no soft-pedaling of the unrest. “Love of our country demands nothing less,” he added.
Subsequently, addressing a special meeting of the federal cabinet at Parliament House, he described the May 9 riots as a revolt against the state and its institutions, alleging their “real objective” was to topple democracy, bury the Constitution, bring about dictatorship, and undermine national unity to cause social unrest.
Describing May 9 as a “black day” for Pakistan’s history, he said the “evil” plan of the unrest was not just a conspiracy against Pakistan, but also the entire state, the Army, and Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir. Thanking Allah for foiling the plot, he questioned how its culprits remained unpunished a year after the incident. Noting the rioting took place when the PDM-led government was working to stabilize the economy, normalize ties with friendly countries, he said it aimed to hide the perpetrators’ foreign funding, corruption, and bid to install its preferred figures to key posts.
Comparing the May 9 riots to similar incidents in the U.S. and the U.K., he said no country could tolerate such heinous crimes against state institutions and noted all other parties—despite facing tough circumstances—had never acted in such a manner against Pakistan. He said those behind the riots had also falsely alleged poll rigging after the 2018 general elections and sought to damage ties between Pakistan and the U.S. through the cipher case. Lamenting anti-Pakistan propaganda from abroad, he said they were still trying to destabilize the economy and trying to mislead the nation about events it had witnessed personally.
Maintaining the incumbent government had put the country on the path to stability, he thanked all political parties for their support and also expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice of Pakistan for assuring his support in expediting the disposal of tax-related cases.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, meanwhile, submitted to the cabinet a report on the May 9 riots, noting it had implicated the PTI leadership. He said the probe committee had proposed various corrective measures, including raising awareness among youth, fostering national harmony and enacting legislation aimed at ensuring effective prosecution.
Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Naveed Qamar regretted that the May 9 riots had exposed the perpetrators’ animosity toward the state and called for moving beyond condemnations to punishing the culprits and exonerating the innocent.
Zardari condemns
In his statement, issued on Wednesday night, President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the violence and said the “unfortunate incidents severely tarnished the country’s image, which only served the interest of Pakistan’s enemies.”
Describing the riots as an “attempt to challenge the writ of the state, undermine the rule of law and weaken the institutions,” he expressed pride in Pakistan’s armed forces and institutions and emphasized that those responsible for the violence must be held accountable as per law.
Emphasizing that any attempts to misuse the right to peaceful demonstrations to incite violence would never be tolerated, he called for political unity to promote “tolerance, democratic values, and political dialogue, and provide a clear direction to the nation.” He urged all political parties, Parliament, the media and civil society to strengthen democracy by upholding the rule of law and fostering a culture of tolerance, political dialogue and inclusivity.
He also lamented and condemned social media campaigns targeting state institutions, calling for a mechanism “to check and counter such disinformation campaigns.”