Arrest of miscreants: PM sets 72-hour deadline

LAHORE: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a meeting during his visit to Punjab Safe Cities Authority on Saturday has given a 72-hour deadline for making arrests of all those involved in setting on fire different buildings and infrastructure, including the historic Jinnah (Corps Commander) House.

He directed the authorities to immediately arrest all those elements who were involved in different abhorrent and unpardonable incidents of vandalism, attacks and arson on May 9, inflicting massive damages to public and private properties across Punjab.

“The whole nation was in utter state of grief over such painful incidents except Imran Niazi and his armed followers who had acted not less than the enemies of Pakistan as no Pakistani could ever think of such action or planning,” the premier said, adding that “these people should be arrested and made to face the law in accordance with the relevant legal and the constitutional provisions.”

During a meeting in Islamabad, the PM had issued directions that all those people who were involved, planned, abetted and facilitated the terrible attacks across the country should be dealt with an iron hand. The miscreants would have to stand trials in the anti-terrorism courts and the law minister directed to increase number of these courts.

The premier said, “It is time to do or die or now or never. The real culprits who showed this kind of enmity against the motherland should be arrested and produced in anti-terrorism courts under the relevant laws. These elements should be arrested immediately, without fear or favour.”

The meeting was attended by Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, Syed Mohsin Naqvi and other relevant officials. The PM said on May 9, terrible incidents occurred in the history of Pakistan. The Corps Commander (Jinnah House) was completely destroyed which was a painful sight. During the 75 years of country’s history, the enemy could not inflict such harm nor accomplish its evil dreams, but unfortunately, on May 9, under Imran Niazi’s supervision, planning and instigation his armed groups set Jinnah House on fire reducing it to ashes, besides harming the historic articles there.

“Alas, as a Pakistani, I would not have lived to watch such a dreadful day,” he regretted. Those who made plans and armed their rioters with weapons and batons to attack the law enforcement personnel and buildings would be dealt with iron hand so that they could become a permanent example for all that those who might act against Pakistan, he added.

Paying tributes to army and other law enforcement personnel, Shehbaz said the armed forces and the law enforcement personnel had been ever ready to sacrifice their lives to foil designs of the enemies, whether it was 65 war or in the fight against terrorism in which about 80,000 Pakistani lost their lives, including the armed forces officers, personnel, police, paramilitary forces and every member of society had sacrificed which led to crush the scourge of terrorism. He regretted that the PTI rioters also defiled the Shuhada and attacked their monuments.

He said such were the heart wrenching scenes and had not been witnessed in the past history, adding that those armed groups should be made an example so that no one could dare to cast an evil eye on these institutions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023