May 9 vandalism: Ghulam Sarwar backs trial under Army Act

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has backed the authorities’ decision to try May 9 rioters under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.

“Whatever the authorities decide [...] if the trial can be conducted legally under the Army Act, then it should take place, and responsible persons should be punished accordingly,” he told Geo News anchor Shahzad Iqbal in programme ‘Naya Pakistan’ when asked if the suspects should be tried under those laws.

The PTI leader demanded the constitution of a Judicial Commission to probe the attacks, saying that the responsible, even if they are from his own party, should get the due punishment.

He said that he denounces the incidents that followed the arrest of party Chairman Imran Khan in which public properties were ransacked, adding that he strongly condemns the attack on the two important military installations – the GHQ and Lahore corps commander house.

The politician from Taxila rejected the reports that he was planning to leave the party. He said that that the PTI was his second home and he owns it, and was not going anywhere after quitting it.

He said that there was no reality in [the assertion that] the PTI long march was aimed at stopping the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff. He said it was agitation with only one-point agenda i. e. elections.

On PTI MNAs’ resignations from the National Assembly and dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa provincial assemblies to achieve their targets, Sarwar said that what they had planned was right, but that could not be implemented even after the Supreme Court order. He said that it was a serious violation of the Constitution.