May 9 Mayhem: Never Again!

Palwasha Aftab

On May 9, 2023, a series of disturbing incidents unfolded following the arrest of Imran Khan. Mobs comprising PTI workers, deliberately and maliciously vandalized and set fire to public and military properties, drawing comparisons with the infamous Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
To put it into perspective, here is a list of events indicating that the PTI, like TTP, is the enemy of the Army and the country. On October 10, 2009, TTP attacked GHQ, likewise on May 9, 2023, PTI assailants attacked the bedrock of Pakistan’s national security -the Headquarters of the Pakistan Army. In its opposition to education and development, TTP has attacked several schools, including APS. Similarly, PTI’s angry mob torched FC Public School in district Dir, unmasking its aversion to cradles of knowledge and critical thinking.
TTP has made a terrorist attack on the ISI office; PTI made a similar attempt. While TTP is known for its ambush on vehicles of the security personnel, PTI did the same on May 9.
TTP has attacked army cantonments and garrisons, same way, PTI’s rioters targeted army regiments like the Punjab Regiment Center Mardan and Baloch Regiment Center Abbottabad.
In 2013, terrorists attacked the residence of the Father of the Nation in Ziarat, Balochistan; a few years later, in May 2023, PTI affiliated traitors attacked the Jinnah House (currently Corps Commander House) in Lahore under the patronage of their party’s senior leader, Yasmin Rashid.
While it is in TTP’s playbook to ravage historical buildings and monuments, the same course of action was followed by the PTI miscreants as they attacked the historic Bala Hisar and Chakdara forts. TTP is dismissive of the innumerable sacrifices rendered by the security forces for the nation, so is PTI and its cults, who in their hatred for Army, shamelessly desecrated memorials of Pakistan’s revered military officer, Captain Karnal Sher Khan, among other national heroes.
TTP has been hitting government buildings, and so did Imran Khan’s tsunami, which joined the ranks of TTP by ransacking and burning government buildings, the most tragic of which was the attack on Radio Pakistan.
Finally, just like TTP’s terrorist activities are diametrically opposed to the principles of Islamic Shariah, which they so ostensibly endorse and claim to enforce; in the same manner, Imran Khan’s “Riyasat-e-Madina” rhetoric contradicts his politics of hate and violence.
Statement issued by Commander Sirbukaf Mohmand of banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), acknowledging participation of TTP men in attacks on state installations along with PTI’s violent protesters, reveals how the lines between TTP and PTI have alarmingly gotten blurred.
Clearly, the arrested people involved in the incidents of May 9, 2023, committed offenses in prohibited military areas. Hence, their trial under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act in military courts is indisputable.
While a majority of the nation supports trying May 9 miscreants in military courts, the legitimacy of transferring PTI culprits from civil to military courts for trials has been questioned on allegations of running counter to international and domestic laws.
To address these concerns, it is essential to understand the legal framework underpinning military courts. Military courts in Pakistan were incorporated into the national legal system through amendments to the Army Act and the constitution in 1973. In the past, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld the jurisdiction of military courts to try and sentence individuals for offenses under the Army Act.
Furthermore, military courts follow a legal procedure that safeguards the rights of the accused in line with the Constitution, ensuring fairness throughout the trial process. This include “provisions for arrest, counsel access, protection against double jeopardy, presentation of charges, provision of evidence, right to a fair hearing, recording of evidence, right to appeal, judicial review and the right to file a mercy petition”.
Likewise, the legal process is consistent with Pakistan’s international human rights obligations and international laws, namely: the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Also, the military trial of civilians is not an unusual occurrence, but a well-established practice in both developing and developed nations. States which have tried their civilians in military courts include: United States, Turkey, India, Egypt, Russia, Columbia, South Korea, Bangladesh, Iran, Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, China, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yeman, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Ukraine, Algeria, Nigeria, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Zimbabwe and Uganda.
What we saw on May 9, 2023, was the ultimate peak of political and social radicalization masterminded by PTI through its brainwashing of the society against the state of Pakistan. No wonder, the PTI officials, including the founding chairman of PTI, in their bid to evade accountability and consequences for their actions, instantly distanced themselves from involvement in May 9 violence, but leaked audio conversations, social media posts and CCTV footage have proved otherwise.
In such a case, if the state follows the “pardon” policy, it will systematically encourage recurrence of events like the May 9 mayhem.
A decisive action against those responsible for the May 9 tragedy is therefore necessary to establish deterrence among potential law breakers in future. Moreover, it is ìncumbent upon the state to investigate whether such extreme anti-state indoctrination was done to get merely political goals or some external forces were also behind this terrible design to disintegrate Pakistan.
The people of Pakistan must understand that no external power can succeed in subduing Pakistan in the presence of its powerful and highly professional military, which, itself, draws its strength from the masses of Pakistan.
The foes of Pakistan, therefore, have turned to devastate Pakistan by investing in certain political and extremist outfits of the country who can sow hatred among the masses for its military based on disinformation. In this context, the nation is advised not to fall prey to such an anti-Pakistan agenda.