The Federal Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday was apprised that about 95 percent miscreants involved in violent incidents on May 9 were identified and 60 percent of them had been arrested.
The cabinet directed for expediting the identification process and arrest of people involved in the May 9 incidents, stressing that no innocent citizen should be arrested in the backdrop of such incidents, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. Addressing the participants, the prime minister said the entire nation was standing with its Shuhada and their families. These martyrs had sacrificed their lives and left their orphan children behind to save the future of young generations. The prime minister also stressed that all legal requirements should be fulfilled during proceedings against the elements involved in the criminal incidents. Only those people were arrested who had been involved in the incidents, he added.
A detailed briefing was given over the damages inflicted upon the private and public properties during the unfortunate incidents of May 9.
The meeting was apprised that the miscreants of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had attacked civilians and personnel of law enforcing agencies on May 9 and damaged properties, besides torching vehicles of the armed forces, police, ambulances and other public transport. Sensitive installations, police stations, Jinnah House, Lahore and Radio Pakistan, Peshawar were attacked and burnt to ashes, it was added. It was informed that contrary to the PTI’s ongoing propaganda campaign, cases were being registered against the attackers under the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act for staging attacks on civil and private buildings and properties. Only those people would be tried under the Army Act against whom there were solid evidences that they had been involved in attacks on the sensitive installations.
The right of appeal at the higher judiciary was available against the decisions taken after the proceedings under the Army Act, it was further added. The meeting was also briefed over facial recognition by the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA). Videos and pictures along with places related to May 9 incidents were also screened during the meeting.
The cabinet reaffirmed strict implementation of the decisions taken during a meeting of the National Security Committee on May 16. It also directed for making the unanimously adopted resolution to condemn May 9 black day incidents by the National Assembly as part of the record.
The cabinet further directed to effectively counter the PTI’s propaganda being churned out in different friendly countries. The meeting was briefed in details about the Road to Makkah Project and about its implementation under a memorandum signed on May 17.
Under the project, the intending Pakistani pilgrims would be able to complete their immigration in Pakistan, thus saving them from the process in Saudi Arabia. Five special counters had been established at the Islamabad airport for the purpose where a total of 2,450 pilgrims had been facilitated in the current Hajj season. A total of 26,000 pilgrims would be facilitated from the project in the current year, it was added.
The meeting was further apprised that in the next year, the project would be extended to other airports of the country, taking the number of pilgrims to 75,000 who would be provided with the facility. The cabinet accorded its approval to the appointment of Major General (retd) Hafeez ur Rehman as Member Administration of Pakistan Telecommunication. It also ratified the decisions taken during the Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) meeting of May 16.
