No pardon for those attacking army installations: ministers

LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD: Federal ministers Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Sunday that attacking the military installations was the handiwork of traitors and there was no pardon for such people at all.

Speaking to the media during his visit to the Jinnah House, Lahore, Railways Minister Kh Saad Rafique claimed that a chemical was used to set fire to the Jinnah House [corps commander’s house], Lahore. He said the fire at Jinnah House was not ignited with the help of petrol but a chemical. The tyrants burnt everything of Quaid-e-Azam to ashes, he said.

During the Musharraf era, he said, along with other PMLN workers, he used to stage protest daily “but we always cared about the sanctity of cantonments.” No nation in the world ever embarrassed its army.

On May 9, 2023, the PTI leadership was standing outside the Jinnah House and ticket-holders were inside the building, burning it. He said that May-9 incident was a heart-breaking tragedy.

The minister said the Military Act had been a law of the land for the last 26 years. Imran Khan believed that he would overturn the system with his cult following.

To a question, he said he was not aware that the government had any plan to ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. When it was time to talk “and we were talking, the date of elections was also agreed upon, but Imran Khan failed to hold talks”.

He asked with whom the committee formed by Imran Khan would hold talks. “We want the assembly not to go beyond the constitutional period by even a single day,” he added.

Separately, commenting on back-to-back falling wickets of PTI after the May 9 mayhem, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday those who could not bear the burden of party chairman Imran Khan’s “mistakes” were bidding adieu to the former ruling party.

Kh Asif accused Khan of shattering the country’s economy, adding that he was now trying to weaken the country’s defence. During Khan’s tenure, raids were conducted at the houses of PMLN leaders, but they did not become absconders.

Referring to the May 9 riots, the defence minister said: “They have attacked the country.” During the violent protests, miscreants attacked the civil and military installations including corps commander’s house (Jinnah House) in Lahore Cantt and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, which could never be pardoned, he added.

The military called May 9 a black day and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act. “More people will exit the PTI,” predicted the defence minister.