Islamabad May 14 2023: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the relevant authorities to immediately arrest all those elements who were involved in different abhorrent and unpardonable incidents of vandalism, attacks and arson of May 9, inflicting massive damages to public and private properties across Punjab province.
Addressing a meeting during his visit to Punjab Safe Cities Authority, the prime minister set a deadline of 72 hours for the law enforcement agencies to arrest all those people involved in setting on fire different buildings and infrastructure including the historic Jinnah (Corps commander) house.
The prime minister said the whole nation was in utter state of grief over such painful incidents except Imran Niazi and his armed followers who had acted not less than the enemies of Pakistan as no Pakistani could ever think of such action or planning.
The prime minister said these people should be arrested and made to face the law in accordance with the relevant legal and the constitutional provisions.
He also desired enhancement of number of anti-terrorism courts in the province where the legal proceedings against all these culprits should commence swiftly.
He further maintained that during a meeting in Islamabad the other day, he had already issued clear directives that all those people who were involved, planned, abetted and facilitated the terrible attacks across the country should be dealt with iron hand.
They would have to stand trials in the anti-terrorism courts and he had already instructed the law minister to increase number of the these courts, he added.
“It is time to do or die or now or never. The real culprits who showed this kind of enmity against the motherland should be arrested and produced in anti-terrorism courts under the relevant laws. These elements should be arrested immediately, without fear or favour,” he added.
The meeting was attended by Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Syed Moshin Naqvi and other relevant officials.
The prime minister said on May 9, terrible incidents occurred in the history of Pakistan. The Corps Commander (Jinnah House) was completely destroyed which was a painful sight.
During the 75 years of country’s history, the enemy could not inflict such harm nor accomplish its evil dreams, but unfortunately, on May 9, under Imran Niazi’s supervision, planning and instigation his armed groups set Jinnah House on fire reducing it to ashes, besides harming the historic articles there.
“Alas, as a Pakistani, I would not have lived to watch such a dreadful day,” he regretted, adding the people who were indulged in this abhorrent act, would be made to face criminal proceedings.
Those who made plans and armed their rioters with weapons and batons to attack the law enforcement personnel and buildings would be dealt with iron hand, ‘so that they could become a permanent example for all that those who might act against Pakistan,’ added.
The prime minister observed that the armed forces and the law enforcement personnel had been ever ready to sacrifice their lives to foil designs of the enemies, whether it was 65 war or in the fight against terrorism in which about 80,000 Pakistani lost their lives, including the armed forces officers, personnel, police, paramilitary forces and every member of society had sacrificed which led to crush the scourge of terrorism.
“They have protected the motherland with their blood while leaving behind their bereaved families,” he said, adding the PTI rioters also defiled the shuhada and attacked their monuments.
He said about 12 billion rupees were spent on safe cities authority and it was the latest and biggest institution in the entire South Asia which was established during his tenure as Khadim-e-Ala Punjab under Nawaz Sharif’s leadership.
But in the last five years of PTI’s rule, cameras had been lying dysfunctional, showing the sorrow state of affairs of the past government which also reflected the criminal negligence.
On his Twitter handle, the prime minister said that he had given the law enforcement apparatus, a target of 72 hours to arrest all those involved in facilitating, abetting and perpetrating the disgraceful incidents of arson, ransacking, sabotage and damaging public and private properties.
He said all available resources including technological aid and intelligence were being deployed to chase down these elements. “Bringing these people to justice is a test case for the government. Their cases will be tried by the anti-terrorism courts,” he further posted in his tweet.
