ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) on Tuesday, declared May 9 as the “blackest day in the country’s history” and pledged to ensure that all those involved in the arson and rioting would be apprehended and given exemplary punishment.
Chairing the NSC meeting, the prime minister emphasized the need for strict punishment to be meted out to the culprits in order to prevent the recurrence of such violent incidents in the future.
He acknowledged the frustration and anger of millions of Pakistanis over the attack on security installations and historic buildings like Jinnah House in Lahore, and their demand for accountability of the planners and instigators of the assault.
The NSC meeting expressed solidarity with the Pakistan armed forces, vehemently condemned the violent incidents, and resolved to bring all those responsible to justice without causing harm to innocent individuals.
During the previous meeting, the prime minister had instructed the relevant authorities to register First Information Reports (FIRs) against the culprits involved in the incidents and arrest them within 72 hours.
PM Shehbaz expressed the collective distress and outrage of the people of Pakistan over the events of May 9, which brought shame to the nation.
PM Shehbaz Sharif highlights significance of historical installations
He highlighted the significance of Jinnah House, which was ravaged by miscreants and was once a residence for the brave troops who tirelessly safeguarded the nation from its enemies.
The prime minister shared his firsthand account of the devastation he witnessed at the house, expressing his dismay at the level of destruction.
Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that the damage inflicted by the miscreants surpassed what the country’s arch-enemy could achieve in the last 75 years.
Such heart-wrenching events had never been witnessed in the history of the nation, he said.
He reaffirmed the unity of the 220 million people of Pakistan and the government in strongly condemning such incidents and standing firmly behind the armed forces.
The prime minister pledged that the criminals responsible for burning and defacing government properties, desecrating relics of the Pakistan armed forces, and marching on the office of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Faisalabad would not be spared.
He made it clear that even if he, as the prime minister, were to request leniency, the relevant authorities should not comply and instead act in accordance with the law.
