Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, in his role as the country’s chief executive, expressed determination to ensure justice for those involved in the violence on May 9th. He assured the nation on Wednesday that no concessions or pardons would be granted to the perpetrators.
“As the prime minister, I assure you that the law will take its course, and those responsible for the incidents will not receive any special treatment or forgiveness as they have crossed a significant boundary,” stated the prime minister during his address at the Azmat-e-Shuhada Convention. The purpose of the convention was to pay tribute to the martyrs of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, and civilians. The prime minister emphasized that the Pakistani people consider the events of May 9th as a stain on national dignity and will not tolerate such incidents in the future. He further stated that even India failed to achieve its malicious goals during the 1965 war, but the leadership of the PTI and its followers inflicted significant damage on the country. “The nation will not forgive them and those rioters who fulfilled India’s dreams on May 9th,” he added.
The convention was attended by numerous families of the fallen heroes, governors, members of parliament, ministers, provincial ministers, ambassadors, legislators, civil society members, religious scholars, senior officials, and students. Prior to his speech, the prime minister visited the families of the martyrs to pay his respects and acknowledge their immense sacrifices and bravery. He assured them that their sacrifices would not be in vain. “The Pakistan envisioned by our founding father, Quaid-e-Azam, exists due to the sacrifices of the martyrs who left behind orphaned children but secured the future for generations to come,” he remarked. Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that the entire nation would not allow such barbaric incidents to occur in the future and would uphold the honor of the national flag. “We will not permit anyone to tarnish the reputation of our armed forces,” he affirmed.
As the country’s chief executive, the prime minister emphasized his responsibility to ensure that legal proceedings, in accordance with the law and the constitution, take place against all the rioters and troublemakers who planned, incited, and carried out attacks on various civilian and military installations on May 9th. He described the incidents as intolerable and unpardonable, as the monuments and statues of the fallen heroes from the armed forces and law enforcement agencies were vandalized. At the same time, he reassured that no innocent person would be falsely implicated in these criminal cases. “These troublemakers have deeply hurt the sentiments of the martyrs’ families, and such a heartbreaking spectacle has never been witnessed before,” he stated.
The prime minister recalled that during the tenure of the PTI, the entire opposition faced immense challenges but endured them with resilience and never contemplated attacking civilian or military installations. He deemed the events of May 9th highly deplorable and condemnable in the history of the country. He also questioned why the PTI’s leadership incited violence, with threats to attack civilian and military installations, even before the arrest of their chief in a corruption case. “The entire nation seeks answers from the PTI’s leadership as to why Quaid’s House, Radio Pakistan, and other buildings were ravaged and reduced to ashes,” he expressed. He highlighted that the nation’s martyrs did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives to secure peace, and it is their precious blood that allows life to go on. Shehbaz emphasized that the officers, personnel of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, and police force have shown bravery in the face of internal and external troubles, including terrorism threats.