Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in an interview with a private TV channel accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan of hatching a conspiracy to overthrow the military leadership.
According to a news report published by the News International, PM Shehbaz Sharif asserted that the May 9 incidents were not spontaneous outbursts but a calculated attempt to create anarchy and civil war in the country.
He claimed that aside from PTI workers, a group of politicians and some military personnel and their families were involved in the orchestrated events, which were later referred to as the “Black Day” by the military.
The interview will be aired tonight on Geo News, however, the News International, a print media of Jang Group, published a news story in this regard by using some of the portion of programme.
In response to the violent protests that erupted on May 9 following the arrest of Imran Khan in graft case, the government and the military vowed a strong response and took measures to arrest and detain several PTI workers and leaders suspected of involvement.
The Pakistan Army took internal accountability seriously and dismissed three senior officers, including a lieutenant general, following the investigations.
Major General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, the army’s spokesperson, disclosed that two departmental inquiries were conducted by major generals, and appropriate punishments were administered based on their recommendations.
Moreover, 15 army officers, including three major generals and seven brigadiers, faced strict departmental action as part of the military’s commitment to accountability.
The military also arrested several relatives, including women, of senior army officers, accusing them of being facilitators of the violent attacks.
The PTI refuted claims of its members’ involvement in the attacks, but both the government and the military stood firm, asserting that they possess “irrefutable evidence” linking the PTI to the events.
In response to the attacks on military installations, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and Lahore Corps Commander House, the army decided to try the perpetrators in military courts. However, the Supreme Court has called for a suspension of civilian trials in military courts until it makes decisions on petitions challenging the trials.
