By Staff reporter
ISLAMABAD: The military on Thursday dismissed reports that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir had demanded an apology over the May 9, 2023 riots, with a senior official insisting that those responsible for the unrest must be “held accountable” under the law.
Lieutenant-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told reporters in Islamabad that Field Marshal Munir had not called for an apology from any party, including the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which the state holds responsible for the nationwide protests that erupted in May 2023 following a brief arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in graft case.
“Neither did the army chief make any political statement in Brussels, nor did he mention any apology,” Lt-Gen Chaudhry said, according to Geo News. He added that the army chief “did not say anything about the PTI”.
The clarification follows a column published on August 16 in the Urdu-language Daily Jang newspaper by senior editor Suhail Warraich, who wrote that Field Marshal Munir had spoken to him during a recent stopover in Brussels on his return from the United States.
Warraich’s column stated that the army chief had said “political reconciliation is possible only if there is a sincere apology”, without specifying who the apology was expected from. The remarks were widely interpreted as being directed at the PTI and its jailed founder Khan, over the May 9 riots.
The military has repeatedly accused the PTI of being the “planners and architects” of the violent protests, which saw attacks on state and military installations following Khan’s arrest on corruption charges. Scores of PTI leaders have since been convicted and disqualified in cases related to the unrest.
Lt-Gen Chaudhry, speaking after an event in Islamabad, underscored that the May 9 riots were “not only the military’s case but the nation’s case”. “It is clear that those who carried out the May 9 [riots], their enablers and planners should be held accountable as per the law.”
He also noted that “hundreds of people” were present at the Brussels event where Field Marshal Munir spoke, adding that attendees had taken photographs with the army chief.
The military’s statement came on the day when the country top court granted bail to Khan in eight cases related to May 9 violence, with speculation swirling last month about potential changes to the country’s presidency or premiership. Social media reports had suggested a possible shift from Pakistan’s parliamentary system to a presidential one, with Field Marshal Munir rumoured to be eyeing the presidency.
Warraich recounted a two-hour discussion with the army chief in Brussels, where Munir dismissed such rumours as “completely false”. The column quoted him as saying: “In fact, there are elements behind this who oppose both the government and the authorities and wish to create political anarchy.”
Warraich wrote that the conversation began with a discussion on politics, particularly on speculation about efforts to replace President Asif Ali Zardari or the prime minister. Field Marshal Munir reportedly rejected claims that such changes were being orchestrated, even when informed that both civilian and military agencies were allegedly circulating the rumours.
The PTI, meanwhile, has renewed its call for an independent judicial commission to investigate the May 9 riots, the November 26 protest incident, and the 2024 general elections. The party’s demand follows the military’s insistence that Khan apologise for the riots.
Khan, who has been imprisoned since his arrest in 2023, has maintained that he was “abducted” by paramilitary Rangers on May 9 and offered a conditional apology, contingent on CCTV evidence proving PTI supporters’ involvement in the violence. Earlier this month, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries Rana Ihsaan Afzal said the government might consider a pardon for Khan if he apologised for his “crimes”.
In June, Khan’s sister, Aleem Khan, claimed that the former prime minister had been repeatedly asked to apologise for the May 9 protests.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
