Rawalpindi, (Samajweekly) Pakistan’s top military brass on Monday dropped a clear hint that former Prime Ninister Imran Khan could be proceeded against under Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act over the ransacking of military installations in the wake of his arrest on May 9, media reports said.
Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir presided over a Special Corps Commanders Conference (CCC) meeting at GHQ in Rawalpindi to discuss the situation arising out of violent protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the arrest of its Chairman Imran Khan, Express Tribune reported.
The meeting took place ahead of the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting to be held on Tuesday that would take the final decision on how to proceed against former Prime Minister and his other party leaders for their alleged involvement in instigating their supporters to ransack the residence of Lahore Corps Commander, attack the GHQ and other military installations.
In an unusual detailed statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that forum took comprehensive stock of the law and order situation in the past few days that was created to achieve vested political interests, Express Tribune reported.
The forum was briefed that a well-coordinated arson plan involving desecration of martyrs pictures, monuments, burning down of historical buildings, and vandalism of military installations was executed to malign the institution and provoke it towards giving an impulsive reaction.
The forum condemned, in the strongest possible sense, these politically motivated and instigated incidents against military installations and public and private properties, Express Tribune reported.
The ISPR stated that the commanders also communicated the anguish and sentiments of the rank and file of the army on these unfortunate and unacceptable incidents.
“Based on the irrefutable evidence collected so far, armed forces are well aware of the planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators of these attacks and attempts to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile,” the military’s media wing noted.
The forum expressed firm resolve that those involved in these heinous crimes against the military installations, personnel and equipment will be brought to justice through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act, Express Tribune reported.
It resolved that restraint will no longer be exercised against perpetrators, spoilers and violators who attack military installations and setups under any circumstances, Express Tribune reported.
The forum also showed concern over externally sponsored and internally facilitated, orchestrated propaganda warfare, unleashed against the army leadership, meant to create fissures between armed forces and people of Pakistan, and within rank and file of the armed forces.