Planners, Perpetrators Of Attacks To Be Tried Under Army Act, Official Secrets Act: Corps Commanders

Planners, Perpetrators Of Attacks To Be Tried Under Army Act, Official Secrets Act: Corps Commanders
Those involved in the May 9 attacks on security installations will be tried under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act, the Corps Commanders agreed on Monday.

This resolve was reached at the Corps Commanders Conference held at GHQ, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media affairs wing.

It said that General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) presided over the special conference.

The communiqué said that the forum was briefed in detail about the prevailing internal and external security environment.

Corps Commanders took comprehensive stock of the law and order situation in the past few days that was created to achieve vested political interests.

"The forum was briefed that a well coordinated arson plan involving desecration of Shuhada pictures, monuments, burning down of historical buildings and vandalism of military installations was executed to malign the institution and provoke it towards giving an impulsive reaction," the ISPR said.

The forum condemned, in the strongest possible sense, these politically motivated and instigated incidents against military installations and public private properties.

Corps Commanders also communicated the anguish and sentiments of the rank and file of the army on these unfortunate and unacceptable incidents, the media affairs wing maintained.

Read this too: No Further Vandalism Of Security Installations, COAS Warns

The statement further said that based on the irrefutable evidence collected so far, armed forces are well aware of the planners, instigators, abettors, and perpetrators of these attacks, and attempts to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile.

"Forum expressed firm resolve that those involved in these heinous crimes against the military installations and personal/equipment will be brought to justice through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act," the ISPR maintained.

The meeting resolved that restraint will no longer be exercised against perpetrators, spoilers and violators who attack military installations and setup, under any circumstances.

'Orchestrated propaganda'

The forum also showed concern over externally sponsored and internally facilitated, orchestrated propaganda warfare, unleashed against the army leadership, meant to create fissures between armed forces and people of Pakistan, and within rank and file of the armed forces.

The statement said that the vicious propaganda of such inimical forces will be defeated with the support of people of Pakistan, who have always stood with the armed forces during all odds.

"Forum stressed the need of strict implementation of relevant laws to penalize the violators of the social media rules and regulations," ISPR said.

It also said that the forum emphasised the need for a national consensus amongst all stakeholders to address the ongoing political instability at priority so as to restore public confidence, reinvigorate economic activity and strengthen democratic process.

The participants also resolved to support all such efforts to reach this much needed consensus.

Corps Commanders paid rich tribute to the Shuhada, who have laid their lives in defence of the motherland while fighting the menace of terrorism.

They acknowledged the successful counter terrorism and intelligence based operations in the country by security forces, especially valiant response given by the troops in the Muslim Bagh attack, and paid rich tribute to the supreme sacrifices made by the brave sons of the soil.

Concluding, ISPR said, "Forum resolved that Pakistan Army, with the full support of people of Pakistan, will defeat all nefarious designs of the enemies of Pakistan, Insha Allah."