As the first anniversary of the infamous May 9 riots falls tomorrow, rhetoric about the attack on army installations and their ensuing crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is making the rounds in the media. As the PTI’s social media campaign for the establishment of a judicial commission to seek the May 9 truth is mounting, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif told media on Tuesday that this particular date carries profound significance – a day when the incursion upon military installations happened following the arrest of PTI progenitor Imran Khan. Making most of the occasion, the army spokesperson rejected any prospect of dialogue with the PTI unless the party unequivocally demonstrates contrition before the nation, besides offering a sincere commitment to embracing a paradigm of constructive political engagement, renouncing the disruptive tendencies emblematic of anarchy in the political arena.
The key notes of by the ISPR director general’s lengthy press conference revolve around the requisite conditions for potential re-engagement with the PTI: the first and foremost is an acknowledgment from the PTI about its role in the May 9, 2023. Once this is done on the part of Imran Khan, the ISPR showed willingness to accede to the establishment of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9.
This creates the deadlock. It would be better for both parties to concede their established stances, and move forward toward the agreed point: never repetition of the May 9, and the events which led to such riots.
The press conference comes at a moment when Pakistan’s terrorty is under attack from external as well as internal enemies. The army has laid down sacrifices for the security of the people and state. Two hostiles sides – Afghanistan and India – are being used by internal enemy. The origins of the nefarious plot to target Chinese engineers in the Bisham attack stemmed from the actors operating from across the border in Afghanistan, the ISPR DG said. No doubt amid the prevailing security situation, the leadership of the Pakistani armed forces is cognizant of the multifaceted threats emanating from the Indian front. The army has compelling evidence regarding the incursion of Indian operatives onto Pakistani soil.
This situation demands that the armed forces move on leaving May 9 behind if the PTI is eager to work with the institution.
