ISLAMABAD: On the directive of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, a cabinet committee has been formed to find out the masterminds, plotters, facilitators and executioners of the May 9, 2023 violent incidents, Geo News reported on Saturday.
The Cabinet Division has issued a notification for the establishment of the committee headed by Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam. The body would review the incidents of May 9, 2023, including attacks on military installations, and would be bound to submit its report within 14 days.
It will also give recommendations for stopping such incidents in the future. It will review the immediate and long-lasting impacts of May 9 incidents.
The notification says the Ministry of Interior would provide the secretariat’s support to the cabinet committee.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Investigation, Anoosh Masood, had on September 20, 2023 said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and all others nominated as suspects in the probe into the May 9 riots had been charged with “criminal conspiracy”.
The investigation official had said evidence of inciting mutiny and planning vandalism had been found against the PTI chief. “Section 120(B) [pertaining to punishment of criminal conspiracy] of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) has been added to all the cases related to the May 9 incidents,” Masood had said.
Meanwhile, caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Saturday said there was a dire need to carry out a holistic investigation of the May 9 incidents to determine causes, responsibility and future course of action to prevent recurrence of such events.
Speaking in Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, hosted by Shahzad Iqbal, the minister said the investigation of those involved in May 9 was underway on an individual basis, but Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar deemed it appropriate to probe the matter holistically.
He said the committee that was formed the other day would not only investigate the May 9 riots thoroughly but would also give its recommendations to prevent a repetition of such events by strengthening the legal regime.
Solangi said the caretaker government never viewed the investigation of the May 9 incidents as invalid. The law would take its course in the matters related to the May 9 tragedy. He said it was imperative to bring forth the reality before the people as to how these events were planned and what was its purpose.
The law minister would be convener of the committee which would collect details about the events that led to the May 9 incidents, Solangi said, adding the body could include a co-opted member to address any issues stemming from its proceedings.
He said the interior minister would provide secretarial support to the committee which would have two weeks to furnish the report. The minister said the committee would work by the law and compile its recommendations in the light of information provided by the state institutions.
“The committee is not a tribunal, nor a court, and we do not have any authority to punish anyone,” he remarked. To a query, he said the government would not divulge details about the action taken by the previous government against those involved on May 9.
He said the caretaker government was constitutional and would make all-out efforts to ensure enforcement of the law.
According to the information minister, a “ghost article” was published by foreign magazine in the name of Imran Khan. “As per our information, no information was leaked from the jail and nothing came inside the prison,” he said. The minister questioned whether “ghost articles” could be published if nothing was written to the media from inside the jail. Suspension and termination of the sentence were two different things, he said, adding Imran Khan was not free as his Toshakhana case was not over yet.
The minister said Imran Khan was still a convict as per the spirit of the law. He said the former PTI chairman had not given any interview to any critical journalist during his government’s tenure. The situation did not differ even when he was ousted from power, he added.
Solangi said the “ghost article” published in The Economist was based on propaganda. “We are writing to The Economist about this ghost article in detail,” the minister added. He said there was no comparison between the interviews of former president Asif Ali Zardari and Imran Khan since the former was not a convict at that time. Immense importance was given to the source in journalism, he said, adding it was not allowed to publish someone’s article in the name of another person. He asked whether The Economist had given such a facility to any other person in jail.
To another query, he expressed full confidence in the Election Commission of Pakistan’s ability to hold the elections. He said the government would extend administrative and financial assistance to the ECP in this regard.
Solangi said the country’s history suggested that elections were held in the country amid severe weather and security concerns. The ECP had given dates for the general election and the government would assist it in holding the polls at the given time, he added. He said it was the responsibility of the administration and provincial governments to provide security to all the political party leaders, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The minister said the power to fix or change the date of elections solely rested with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under Article 218(3) of the Constitution. As regards the role of the caretaker government, he said multiple initiatives including actions against smuggling had been taken to chart the country on the path of economic progress.
