By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that he fully endorsed the statement of the military’s top commanders and demanded strict action against those responsible for the violent clashes that erupted on May 9 of the previous year.
Khan, who has been incarcerated at the Adiala jail since his arrest on corruption charges in January, spoke to the media in an informal interaction and urged the authorities to identify the culprits through CCTV footage, citing the example of the United States where protesters were arrested for insurrection and attacking Capitol Hill with the help of security footage.
“I endorse the declaration of the corps commanders’ conference,” Mr. Khan said, referring to the meeting of the army’s senior leadership that took place on Tuesday and issued a denial of its involvement in the allegedly rigged elections held in February. In the same statement, the army said it would pursue the May 9 incidents.
Thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s supporters took to the streets on May 9 to protest the brief arrest of Khan, who was accused of land corruption. The protesters clashed with security forces and attacked several military facilities, including the headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the army’s spy agency, and the house of a top military official in Lahore.
The military had termed the events of May 9 a “dark chapter” and announced its intent to try the rioters under relevant laws, including two military laws — the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.
The decision sparked widespread criticism from human rights groups, lawyers, and opposition parties, who said it undermined the civilian legal system and violated the due process of law.
The previous caretaker government formed a five-member committee to investigate the May 9 violence. The formation of the committee comes amid the arrest of hundreds of activists of Khan’s PTI party for their alleged involvement in the riots and attacks on military installations. Several PTI leaders have also resigned from the party after expressing condemnation of the violence.
Khan expressed his regret that no one was apparently interested in an independent and fair probe into the May 9 violence and called for the formation of a commission to investigate the matter.
“The May 9 narrative could not work for the Feb 8 [election],” he said, adding that only three political parties were the beneficiaries of rigged elections.
The former prime minister also criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for depriving his party of reserved seats for women and minorities, terming the move ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘contradictory to democracy’.
The PTI founder said he would never accept the results of the recent elections, as it would be tantamount to “accepting slavery”.
“The February 8 general election was the most rigged one in history which would adversely affect the economy with the result that the public at large would suffer an irreparable loss,” Khan said.
He demanded an audit of four constituencies, including the Lahore constituencies of Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N leader, and former prime minister, and Aun Chaudhry, a former close aide of Khan and now a leader of a breakaway faction, and the one in Peshawar from where Noor Alam, a vocal critic of PTI, won.
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