Perpetrators of May 9 incidents facing judicial process: PM

ISLAMABAD (APP): Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Sunday said the incidents of May 9 were still being investigated and action should be taken against those involved in them.

Speaking in a private television channel programme, he said those who perpetrated the incidents on May 9 were facing the judicial process.

Many persons were still avoiding the courts and were in hiding, he said adding they should have surrendered before the law to avail their legal rights but now they would face obstacles in carrying out their political activities related to the elections.

He said the Election Commission would ensure that nobody should get the impression that any person was made a target for his political affiliation. To a question, he said the leader of the house and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly agreed to his name and he was appointed as the caretaker prime minister.

He said he was supported by many people including his teachers to reach the level of attainment in his life.

The prime minister said the people of Pakistan would elect their representatives on February 8 and his government would carry out a peaceful transfer of power to them.

By the morning of February 9, it would be known whom the people had elected, he observed.

He said the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to resolve problems of governance during its tenure as it lacked political maturity and got involved in confrontation with the institutions.

Talking about the issues of Balochistan, he said once militants realized that they would have to lay down their arms, the problems would be settled.

PM Kakar was of the view that the sanctity of the state should be observed as it was above any individual. He said Pakistan lost 90,000 of its citizens in the war against terrorism but not even nine persons were convicted in courts for the deaths.

The issue of terrorism could not be addressed, he said adding that horrific incident like an attack on the Army Public School occurred and personnel of law enforcement agencies, citizens and politicians had been martyred since 2008.

“The criminal justice system is not working and it is a fact,” he said adding reforms in the system could not be made by the last three parliaments. He said democracy would move forward gradually and would bring its fruits to the people as happened in Europe.

He said he believed in pure democracy but the democratic government should improve governance and perform to gain moral strength from the people of Pakistan.

The military institutions were supporting the government in disaster management, economic issues, database management, education, health and space technology, he noted. He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council was formed to help the prime minister in taking informed decisions about the economy with the support of institutional input.