ISLAMABAD: Caretaker government’s report on May 9 said that the riots caused erosion of public confidence in all institutions of the state including the armed forces.
It says, “There is now a palpable perception of a gulf between the people and the armed forces that has caused morale of the troops to plummet. At a time when the armed forces are engaged in fighting a relentless war on terror, this erosion of mutual trust is unhelpful.”
The report claimed that on May 9, 14 people died and 423 were injured, majority of which were police and LEA personnel. Further, 40 public and 15 private buildings were damaged, and 159 vehicles, including 137 public vehicles, were destroyed or damaged. It said that these protests caused an estimated immediate financial loss of nearly Rs17 billion.
Although the report stated that the scale of damage and the inability of the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to contain the protests raises questions about their preparedness and capacity, it praised the military personnel for showing restraint when it was brazenly attacked by the rioters.
“The military personnel conducted themselves admirably in difficult circumstances and at great personal peril. The military demonstrated extraordinary restraint even when brazenly attacked. The soldiers are trained to neutralize threats, and they had the capacity and the resolve to defend their installations, and yet they restrained themselves out of concern for civilian life and property. The restraint demonstrated by the military saved lives, and prevented violence from escalating. Failure to demonstrate such restraint would have led to inordinate loss of life making a difficult situation even worse. The Committee places on record its appreciation for the restraint shown by the soldiers and officers,” said the report.
Regarding the civilian Law Enforcement Agencies, the report said that they also conducted themselves well, but there is, however, some cause for concern regarding the absence of effective coordination by provincial governments when it was critically needed. “Violence erupted in early afternoon and continued unabated for several hours, because the provincial governments could not take timely decisions to restore order. For instance, in Lahore, protests started at 1500 hours, Jinnah House was set alight at 1800 hours and still the government did not take all such measures that were reasonably expected of it to restore order, while the Askari Bank Tower was set alight five hours later at 2300 hours.”
The report noted, “The riots damaged national security in three fundamental ways. First, in uncertain times citizens draw confidence from the state and its institutions; and vice versa. The riots caused erosion of public confidence in all institutions of the state including the armed forces. There is now a palpable perception of a gulf between the people and the armed forces that has caused morale of the troops to plummet. At a time when the armed forces are engaged in fighting a relentless war on terror, this erosion of mutual trust is unhelpful. Second, the riots have set a dangerous precedent whereby political actors or antisocial elements may feel licensed to attack state institutions such as the judiciary and the armed forces to achieve political results. Ambitions may draw political actors to drag institutions into political circus. Consequences of this event has the potential for exploitation by the inimical elements and hostile states. Similarly, it has seriously undermined the morale and discipline of armed forces personnel. Such endeavours are dangerous and detrimental to the safety and interest of Pakistan and would create room for debate where none should happen.”
“The protesters targeted and attacked government buildings and, in particular, military installations, including among others, the GHQ in Rawalpindi, PAF Base Mianwali, ISI offices in several cities, Bannu Cantonment, Frontier Constabulary Forts in Chak Darra and Timergara, Corps Commander’s residence (Jinnah House) in Lahore etc. The scale of damage and the inability of the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to contain the protests raises questions about their preparedness and capacity.”
In its recommendations, the report emphasised, “There is an urgent need for national reconciliation. Irresponsible politics has polarised the society. Now, responsible politics must de-polarise the society. This can be done by making the next Parliament effective. Parliament must serve as a forum for honest and respectful debate. A respectful working relationship between the government and the opposition inspires tolerance and hope in the future. People’s conduct does not happen in a vacuum. It is affected by the rules the government sets. If the government and opposition can work together on common ideals, the public, too, shall overcome divisive politics. Both the government and the opposition shall bear the responsibility of ensuring that the next Parliament works.”
