ISLAMABAD, May 19 (APP): Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protestors, to be trialled in the military courts, would have the right to appeal to the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
The defence minister in an interview with an Arab news channel “Al Jazeera” expressed his point of view on the prevailing situation in the aftermath of the May 9 violent protests by the PTI workers after the arrest of their Chairman Imran Khan.
Khawaja Asif said the PTI miscreants attacked public and government properties including military installations under a well-thought-out plan. “Such actions are tantamount to waging a war against Pakistan. Those who attacked military installations, military bases and residences of military personnel, their trials will be held under military courts according to the procedure given in the constitution,” he added.
He said there was definitely a political crisis in Pakistan but it would be overcome very soon. During the violent incidents in Rawalpindi, Mianwali, and Lahore on May 9, armed groups of PTI attacked military installations, he added.
The minister pointed out that there were arrests also made in the past in Pakistan, as he himself was also arrested, adding, “My leader (Nawaz Sharif) and many people of my political party were arrested but we never did politics of violence. We have never attacked military and civilian installations on arrests.”
The defence minister said the attackers on military and civilian installations were enemies of the country. “We have political differences, but that does not mean that government and public properties should be attacked,” he added.
He said that the coalition government was not making new courts and laws, but rather there were already laws existing to hold trials in such cases of violence against state installations.
The government, he said was trying to control the situation, as peace was restored in the cities and the situation would be normal in the next few days.
He said that the general elections would be held in due course in October.
