LAHORE: The Punjab government report on the May 9 riots, where military installations were attacked following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, revealed that the events were pre-planned and amounted to a “war against the state.”
Endorsed by the Standing Committee on Law and Order, the 17-page Punjab Home Department report officially attributed the May 9 violence in Lahore to Imran Khan and PTI’s central leadership.
Characterizing the events as a “war against the state,” the report states that the attack on military and state institutions was pre-planned and carried out at the behest of PTI central and local leadership.
The report holds PTI leadership accountable, naming leaders that include Hammad Azhar, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Umar Sarfaraz Cheema, Mansab Awan, Azam Khan Niazi, Bajash Niazi, and Murad Raas. It also accused the PTI leadership of inciting violence through social media and party leadership calls.
Imran Khan, PTI Leadership Blamed for May 9 Riots
The report details the losses caused by the May 9 riots, noting that the attack on Jinnah House (Corps Commander House Lahore) reportedly caused damages exceeding Rs1.5 billion.
Earlier, the federal government constituted a cabinet committee to investigate the incidents of May 9, with the caretaker federal law and justice minister as the convener. The committee’s members include ministers of interior, information, and human rights.
The committee is mandated to probe the events leading up to the incidents, ascertain the identity and role of masterminds, planners, facilitators, and executors, and evaluate the causes and determine responsibility for the events, including their immediate and long-term implications.
On May 9, 2023, violent clashes erupted across Pakistan after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, leading to widespread protests and attacks on military installations. Imran Khan is named as the main accused in all the May 9 riot cases.
