There can absolutely be no ‘soft-pedalling’ of May 9 riots: PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said there “can absolutely be no soft-pedalling of what happened on May 9” last year, referring to the violent riots that took place countrywide after former premier Imran Khan’s arrest.

“There can absolutely be no soft-pedalling of what happened on May 9 and there can be no absolution for those who orchestrated, supported, and assisted the attempt to damage the foundations of our nation,” he said in a post on X.

The premier said that “not only were symbols of our national pride and honour attacked but the sanctity of our sacred homeland was also assaulted” on that day.

“Let not the shadows of lies, hide the light of truth,” the prime minister stated.

“Love of our country demands nothing less,” PM Shehbaz added while using the hashtag “May 9 Never Again”.

In another post last night, the premier had said the day “separated two thoughts of politics — those who sacrificed politics for the state and those who attacked the state for politics”.

“On the one hand, there are the great sons of the nation who shed their blood for their homeland, their great families, and the patriotic public. On the other, there are those characters burning in the fire of hatred, who neither have any pain in their heart for state interests nor have any respect or nobility for national monuments, state institutions, the Constitution or the law,” he added.

PM Shehbaz further said that a year had passed since the events but “Pakistan and the nation have neither forgotten nor will forget their criminals”.

“It is [my] pledge to the holy land, the great martyrs, their families and the nation that May 9 never again,” the prime minister vowed.

He expressed his resolve to move forward towards development to give a bright future to future generations.

PM Shehbaz and President Asif Ali Zardari said May 9 will “always be remembered as a dark day in country’s history”, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

The president and the premier recalled that on May 9 last year, “a politically instigated mop ran amok across the country, damaging public property and military installations”.

In his statement issued last night, President Zardari condemned the violence and said that the “unfortunate incidents severely tarnished the country’s image, which only served the interest of Pakistan’s enemies”.

Terming the incident as an “attempt to challenge the writ of the state, undermine the rule of law and weaken the institutions”, the president expressed pride in Pakistan’s armed forces and institutions.

He emphasised that those responsible for the May 9 violence should be held accountable according to law.

President Zardari affirmed that any attempt to misuse the right to peaceful demonstrations to incite violence would never be tolerated.

However, he stressed that the “current political situation demands that all political parties work towards promoting tolerance, democratic values, and political dialogue, and provide a clear direction to the nation”.

The president urged 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 regretted and condemned the malicious social media campaign against state institutions, calling for a mechanism “to check and counter such disinformation campaigns”.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned the May 9 incidents as “yet another dark chapter in the nation’s history”.

In a statement issued last night, the PPP MNA termed the riots a “malevolent scheme aimed at sowing chaos and enforcing fascism in the country”, asserting that justice must prevail for the perpetrators who attacked military installations.

He said the “instigator behind the strongly condemnable events of May 9 is well-known to everyone”.

The coalition government ally, however, said his party supported the PTI’s demand for a judicial inquiry into the incident, which should be overseen by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa. Bilawal emphasised that for the probe to occur, “all parties, including the PTI, must commit to accepting whatever decision the judicial commission arrives at”.

Ceremonies, govt meetings planned

A special meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by PM Shehbaz is currently under way in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that a resolution regarding the May 9 violence would be passed in the meeting while the law ministry would also present a “white paper”.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Tarar said that the PPP, the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and the National Party (NP) have been invited to the meeting as special invitees to represent the coalition partners.

“For the sake of political and personal interests, a move was made on May 9 [last year], which was never done even by the enemies”, the minister added.

He said that in his opinion, “a lot of concessions” have been given despite Imran’s nephews and all three sisters being allegedly involved in the riots.

The information ministry will also organise a special function — to be addressed by the premier — at the Jinnah Convention Centre in which people from all walks of life have been asked to “pay befitting homage to our glorious martyrs and their families”.

Separately, the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), in collaboration with the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), will organise a special prayer ceremony at Radio Pakistan in Peshawar in connection with the May 9 incidents, the state broadcaster reported.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi will be the chief guest while children from different schools in Peshawar will also participate in the ceremony, it said.

Another programme regarding the May 9 events will take place at the Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad, which will be broadcast live by Radio Pakistan, the report added.

Govt dedicates May 9 anniversary to martyrs

As it aims to mark the first anniversary of the May 9 violence that largely targeted military installations and monuments of martyrs, the government has decided to commemorate the day in solidarity with martyrs and their families.

On the other hand, the PTI, which has been at the receiving end of a crackdown after the riots, has planned to organise gatherings across the country to express solidarity with its incarcerated leader ex-PM Imran Khan. In order to counter the PTI’s protests, authorities in Islamabad and Punjab have already imposed Section 144.

In the lead-up to the May 9 anniversary, electronic media continue to broadcast advertisements recalling violent protests, mobs clashing with the police, attacking and entering the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and vandalising the Lahore corps commander’s residence.

Earlier, addressing a press conference, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar termed the May 9 incidents the “biggest conspiracy” orchestrated to disrupt the country’s development and harm its defence and integrity. “The May 9 events were systematically planned to undermine the country’s defence,” he claimed.

According to the PTI, over 10,000 of its workers were arrested, but the government claimed it arrested only a few thousand people. The PTI not only challenged the military court cases in the Supreme Court but also alleged that the riots were a false-flag operation designed and carried out by the establishment to dismantle the former ruling party.

People belonging to different walks of life were visiting Lahore’s Jinnah House on the eve of the first anniversary of May 9 riots, Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.

A delegation of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Punjab Union of Journalists who had visited Jinnah House condemned the desecration of martyrs’ memorials.

They expressed anger over the burning and siege of Jinnah House, adding that there was “no place for such political extremists in Pakistan”, the state broadcaster reported.

A group of Peoples Democratic Alliance and Lawyers also paid a visit to Jinnah House, regretting that despite the passage of one year, the perpetrators of May 9 have not been brought to justice, it said.