RAWALPINDI: The military’s top leadership has vowed to take strict action against protesters and their abettors under local laws — including the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act — following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers’ violent protests in which military installations were attacked.

The decision came during a Special Corps Commanders Conference (CCC) held at the General Headquarters with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir in the chair, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The violent protests were triggered after PTI Chairman Imran Khan was sent to jail in the Al-Qadir Trust case, but after walking free on bail, the party chief said his workers did not instigate violence and distanced the PTI from them.

Following the arrest of Khan, who has criticised the military since his ouster in April last year, the PTI workers raised the stakes and attacked an entrance gate of the GHQ among other installations of the armed forces.

“The forum expressed [a] firm resolve that those involved in these heinous crimes against the military installations and personal/ equipment will be brought to justice through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act,” the statement mentioned.

The military’s top brass also resolved that restraint will no longer be exercised against perpetrators, spoilers, and violators who attack military installations and setups under any circumstances.

The ISPR, quoting the commanders, said that based on the irrefutable evidence collected so far, the 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 forum was briefed that a well-coordinated arson plan — involving the desecration of Shuhada 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, the politically motivated and instigated incidents against military installations and public and private properties.

“The commanders also communicated the anguish and sentiments of the rank and file of the army on these unfortunate and unacceptable incidents,” the statement said.

More to follow…