Islamabad, May 17: Pakistan’s top security body has endorsed the decision taken by the top Army commanders to invoke the stringent Army Act and Official Secrets Act against people found to be involved in attacking key military installations following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9.
The National Security Committee (NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday decided to lay hands within 72 hours on all those involved in the violent attacks, their facilitators, and leaders on whose instigation these people had committed vandalism.
However, the proposed move to try arsonists under the tough Army Act has come under severe criticism, with rig¬hts groups such as the Amnesty International and the National Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressing concerns.
Dinushika Dissanayake, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, said: “It is alarming to note that the Pakistani Army has stated its intention to try civilians under military laws, possibly in military courts. Trying civilians in military courts is contrary to international law.”
Dissanayake said that any indication that the trial of civilians could be held in military courts was incompatible with Pakistan’s obligations under international human rights law.
“This is purely an intimidation tactic, designed to crack down on dissent by exercising fear of an institution that has never been held to account for its overreach,” Dissanayake asserted in a statement.
Violence erupted across Pakistan on May 9 when former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a corruption case from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) tweeted that it “strongly opposes the use of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 and Official Secrets Act 1923 to try civilians”.
“While those responsible for arson and damaging public and private property during the recent protests should be held to account, they remain entitled to due process,” Pakistan’s apex independent human rights body tweeted.
“All the civilians tried under these acts in the past should also have their cases transferred to civil courts,” it said in a separate tweet.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party supporters torched buildings and vehicles and attacked police and military personnel as well as installations in the clashes that left 10 persons dead.
Thousands of supporters of Khan, 70, were arrested in the violence on May 9 that Pakistan’s Army described as a “dark day” in the history of the Islamic country.
The NSC meeting atten¬ded by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Defe¬nce Minister Khaw¬aja Asif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Law Min¬ister Azam Nazir Tarar, Inf¬ormation Minis¬ter Mar¬r¬¬i¬yum Aurangzeb, Prin¬ci¬pal Secretary to PM Dr Tauqir Shah and others expressed solidarity with the armed forces and decided to observe May 9 as “black day”.
An official announcement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said the NSC endorsed the decision reached at the corps commanders’ meeting to try the “attackers” under the Army Act and Official Secrets Act.
The committee pledged that no leniency would be shown towards those who attacked defe¬nce installations under any agenda and vowed to bring them to justice.
“They (demonstrators) will be nabbed in 72 hours,” said Sharif while speaking at the NSC meeting.
“The planners and leaders of the May 9 riots who attacked military installations and disrespected our martyrs will be punished and brought to justice. Our nation of 220 million has demanded that those who are sinful, in any regard, should be punished so that such an incident does not take place ever again,” he added.
About the attack on the Corps Commander House, the premier said, “Jinnah House is not just a building … it housed the sons that protected Pakistan. But they destroyed it — in fact, reduced it to ashes.”
Supporters of Khan also stormed the General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.
“I have told the authorities concerned not to show any leniency towards those involved in destruction even if I ask for any favour and not to punish any innocent even on my orders,” the premier said.
Separately, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed on a TV show that the government has proof that the demonstrators were trained at Zaman Park residence of cricketer-turned-politician Khan. (PTI)
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