Cabinet body finds May 9 mayhem a plot to create rift within army

ISLAMABAD: A high-level cabinet committee of the federal government has found May 9 a planned conspiracy hatched to cause a rift within the institution of the Pakistan Army.

The masterminds, conspirators, and planners of the May 9 attacks include both local and foreign elements, an informed source while referring to the findings of the cabinet committee confided to The News.

The source said that the cabinet committee, which was constituted a few weeks ago to review and investigate the violent incidents of May 9, 2023, is presently finalising its report that would be presented before the cabinet for approval and necessary action.

The report, it is said, would be damning for the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf and its top leadership. The probe by the cabinet committee shows that the May 9 attacks were not spontaneous but part of proper planning. The purpose of the attack was to create a rift within the Army. The attacks on military buildings, installations, and symbols were also part of the conspiracy.

The conspiracy, it is said, was prepared and executed with the collaboration of both local and foreign elements. It was all planned how the PTI would react to the arrest of PTI founder chairman Imran Khan. The dissemination of misinformation, false propaganda, and fake news was also part of the plan, according to the source.

Reports of the federal and provincial governments and intelligence agencies, including ISI, MI, IB, and police, are also considered by the cabinet committee, headed by the caretaker law minister, to finalise its work. Based on its findings, the cabinet committee will firm up its recommendations for the cabinet.

The recommendations, it is said, may include a proposal for setting up a commission for criminal, legal, and administrative actions against those involved in the May 9 attacks. The cabinet committee, the source said, will also advise the government on measures to avert the May 9-like attacks.

The cabinet committee will also suggest actions to cleanse the politics of hatred, violence, and cult following.

The cabinet body was established on the directions of Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and was tasked with determining the masterminds, orchestrators, facilitators, and those who carried out those plans of violence, including attacks on military installations, on May 9.

The committee also reviewed the immediate and long-lasting impacts of the May 9 incidents. It was asked to submit its report within 14 days, but it takes a bit more time to complete the task assigned to it.

The committee also asked for recommendations for stopping such happenings in the future.