ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee (NSC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed solidarity with the armed forces and vowed to take strict action against those involved in the May 9 violent protests.
Addressing the NSC huddle, the premier said, “Those who planned, executed and abetted the vandalism on May 9 certainly committed an act of terrorism.”
Referring to the violent protests and attacks on the General Headquarters, Lahore Corps Commander House (or Jinnah House) and other military installations following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a corruption case also involving a property tycoon, the PM said: “Whatever happened on May 9 will be remembered as Black Day in the history of Pakistan.”
He added that what was the ideology and the person who ignited the love for the country. “The person who lives in this house [Jinnah House] protects Pakistan.”
Expressing deep grief over the arson attack on Jinnah House, the premier said: “I have never seen such a situation before.”
The premier went on to say that planners and abettors of the violent incidents of 9th May will be brought to justice. The culprits should be taken to task to set an example so that no one can dare repeat such incidents in the future.
PM Shehbaz, who is also the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), said he has directed that innocent people should not be touched but the culprits involved in these heinous crimes should not be spared even if the chief executive of the country seeks any leniency for them.
He said that these acts of vandalism are no less than terrorism, which have brought shame to the entire nation. Without taking the name of the PTI, the prime minister said goons of a political party attacked military installations, including the GHQ in Rawalpindi, FC Camp in Quetta, and other public property. He said these people inflicted harmed the country that “our enemy even could not think of in the last 75 years”.
The PM also vowed that the criminals, who burnt and tarnished government properties, damaged the relics of the armed forces and marched on the office of ISI in Faisalabad would not be spared.
He further said that today’s huddle expressed that the entire nation is standing behind their armed forces.
The meeting was attended by provincial chief ministers, federal ministers, the services chiefs and other high officials.
