- Five-member committee to submit ‘findings’ to cabinet within 14 days
ISLAMABAD: The caretaker Federal government, led by Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, on Saturday, constituted a five-member committee to fix responsibility and identify “role of mastermind, planners, facilitators, and executors” of ugly incidents unfolded on May 9 across the country after the arrest of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan from Islamabad High Court.
According to the notification issued by the Cabinet Division, the committee is headed by the caretaker law minister and comprises four members, including the Minister for Interior, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and Minister of Human Rights and “any co-opted member to address any issue emanating during the proceedings of the committee”.
On May 9,2022, the National Accountability Bureau arrested Imran Khan with the help of the paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court in the Al Qadir Trust case which sparked countrywide protests amid incidents of vandalism and violence.
The military had subsequently termed the events of May 9 a “dark chapter” and announced its intent to try the rioters under relevant laws, including two military laws — the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act.
The notification also mentioned the terms of references for the committee, which included examination of May 9 incidents “with a view to ascertain the identity and role of mastermind, planners, facilitators and executors”.
It also mandated the committee “to analyse the causes, and determine responsibility for these events and to evaluate their immediate and long-term implications”.
The committee is also mandated to “suggest preventive measures to ensure that such a breach of national security is not repeated”.
Under the ToRs, the committee must also recommend measures to strengthen the existing legal regime to deter such recurrences.
The notification said the Ministry of Interior would provide “secretarial support to the committee that will submit its report for consideration of the cabinet within a period of 14 days.”
Simultaneously, the founder of PTI has been summoned by the Anti-Terrorism Court Rawalpindi on January 9 in connection with various cases related to the May 9 incidents. These cases include allegations of involvement in the GHQ attack, burning images, and inciting the public.
ATC extends judicial remand of Yasmin Rashid, Umar Sarfraz Cheema in May 9 cases
Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Lahore on Saturday extended the judicial remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders – Yasmin Rashid and Umar Sarfraz Cheema – in case of ransacking PML-N office in Model Town on May 09.
The police produced the PTI leaders before the ATC judge Arshad Javed, after which the court extended the judicial remand for the next 14 days. The court directed the authorities to present the accused before the court on January 20.
In November last year, the ATC extended the judicial remand of three accused, including PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid, and others in a vandalism case. ATC duty judge Arshad Javed heard the case related to the arson of Shadman Town police station.
