No compromise with planners, executors of May 9 tragedy: ISPR

The Pakistan Army has said that there can be no compromise with planners, facilitators and executors of the May 9 tragedy.

“The Armed Forces of Pakistan, along with the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and Services Chiefs, strongly condemn the criminal acts perpetrated on 9th May 2023 (The Black Day),” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release on Thursday.

The government has decided to mark May 9 as “black day” today in commemoration of the first “anniversary” of the violence against military installations throughout the country following Imran Khan’s arrest last year.

Meanwhile, in its statement, the ISPR said that politically motivated and brainwashed miscreants in an act of rebellion “deliberately resorted to violence against state institutions and vandalised sacred symbols of the state and the sites belonging to national heritage”.

“It was a futile attempt to bring about a misplaced and shortsighted revolution in the country.

By displaying utmost restraint during this deliberate and brazenly orchestrated violence, Pakistan Armed Forces thwarted the insidious conspiracy by the planners, facilitators and executors who wanted to destabilise Pakistan by inciting confrontation between the people and the Armed Forces,“ the military’s media wing said.

The statement further said that bringing the real culprits of May 9 to justice is paramount to ensure that in future, no one dares to desecrate the “memories of our heroes and the symbols of our unity through such an unwarranted conduct in future”.

It further said that the armed forces hold a very special relationship with the people of Pakistan and renewed the resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity and defeat nefarious designs of the enemies of Pakistan, both external and internal.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that there “can be no absolution for those who orchestrated, supported, and assisted the attempt to damage the foundations of our nation”.

He further said that a year ago on this day, not only were symbols of “our national pride and honour attacked but the sanctity of our sacred homeland was also assaulted”.

“There can absolutely be no soft-pedalling of what happened on May 9 and there can be no absolution for those who orchestrated, supported, and assisted the attempt to damage the foundations of our nation,” he said.

‘Digitial terrorism have been unleashed’

Later during the day, General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said, “inimical forces and their abettors have unleashed digitial terrorism and are trying hard to create division between Armed Forces and people of Pakistan through peddling lies, fake news and propaganda”.

He said that while addressing the Garrison officers and soldiers at Corps Headquarters on a visit to the Lahore Garrison, according to an ISPR statement.

“However, the designs of all these forces will be defeated with the support of the nation,” COAS added.

COAS asserted that every soldier and officer of Pakistan Army puts his duties and responsibilities first, regardless of any other affiliations or preferences and continue to render extreme sacrifices on daily basis.

Article 19 of Constitution clearly defines limits of freedom of speech, opinion: COAS

“May 9 will undoubtedly remain a black day in the history of Pakistan when deliberately indoctrinated and insidiously guided miscreants attacked the symbols of the state and national unity, disgracefully desecrating the Shuhada monuments,” he was quoted as saying in the ISPR statement.