Days after enraged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers attacked military installations, over 300 cars and nearly 1,000 civil society members held a rally at Karachi’s Sea View on Saturday to show solidarity with the Pakistan Army.
The rally was led by Liaquat Medical and Dental College Vice Chairman Dr Ali Farhan. Participants waved Pakistani flags and held aloft banners saying, “we stand with Pakistan Army”. They condemned the attacks and demanded action against those involved in them. They also raised slogans in favour of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies.
The vandalism had come about after PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case. During the days-long violent protests, at least 10 people were killed and dozens of others sustained injuries with internet services suspended for over 72 hours.
In a fit of rage, PTI supporters looted the Lahore Corps Commander House, also known as Jinnah House, and set fire to it. They also attacked the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. In a statement released later, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) termed May 9 a “Black Day”, saying a group of people — draping political garb in their lust for power — had done unprecedented damage to the country that even Pakistan’s enemies since its inception had not.
The ISPR called the PTI leaders “hypocrites” for inciting their workers against the armed forces on the one hand while praising the military — in a bid to overshadow their criticism — on the other.
The attacks were also condemned by the ruling coalition and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered that all those involved in them should be arrested in 72 hours. The government has also announced it will pay Rs200,000 as a reward to those who provide information about the vandals.
Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir vowed today to bring to justice all the planners, abettors, instigators, and executors of vandalism on the “Black Day”. Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Khan has distanced himself from the attacks and called for an independent investigation to discover the truth.
