ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal deemed the May 9 vandalism on military installations by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers as “9/11-type” attacks on the national interests of the country.
In an interview on Sunday, the minister lamented over the regrettable act by the party’s workers who barged into and destroyed several symbols of Pakistan’s pride including the Jinnah House, Yadgar-e-Shuhada, fighter jets of the famous 1965 war and the Chagai mountain model.
He added that the protesters’ reaction after their party’s chairman Imran Khan’s arrest over corruption charges was “unprecedentedly irrational, unacceptable and not less than the 9/11 attacks” carried out in the US in 2001.
“The May-9 incident for Pakistan’s Armed Forces was equivalent to the September 11 of America. The violent workers of a political party attacked Pakistan’s heritage and the pride of the security departments. The ‘Jinnah House’ was not only the residence of a Corps Commander rather a heritage of the founder of the country,” he observed.
Iqbal regretted that the PTI workers broke the statue of Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed, which was a symbol of courage and bravery demonstrated by the martyr in the Kargil battlefield and even admitted by the arch-rival India. “If they have broken the fighter jets of 1965 war, [it means] they have attacked the pride of Pakistan Air Force attained by defeating the enemy in the air war,” he said.
The minister said the model of Chagai Mountain, which reminded the nation of nuclear tests carried out by its scientists that made the country’s defence impregnable, was also set on fire.
“There seems a scheme/method behind this madness as all such symbols were targeted selectively which had a link either with national heritage or pride of the armed forces.”
Ahsan Iqbal, who represents the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Parliament, said such serious offences could not be tolerated and forgiven by any country, reminding that charges were framed against all those who attacked the United States Capitol Hill at the behest of ex-president Donald Trump; and UK courts opened at the night for giving exemplary punishment to those involved in street riots, loot and plunder.
“So, these people, too, do not deserve any mercy as they have attacked the national heritage and pride of the Armed Forces,” he said, adding that evidence-based legal proceedings would be initiated against those involved in the subversive activities.
“Those who caused destruction in civil areas will be prosecuted under the civil law, while those who attacked military installations, will be tried under the Army Act.”
He said the enemies of Pakistan kept celebrating the subversive activities of the PTI, “Thus we made our enemies happy and brought tears to the eyes of our nation.” –Agencies
