Exclusive: probe report’s startling insights into May 9 riots

ISLAMABAD: More than 50,000 people were allegedly involved in targeting military and security installations during the May 9 riots, which were triggered by the arrest of the former prime minister and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief.

This revelation emerged in a report submitted on August 23 during the 52nd session of the “Standing sub-committee on Interior on May 9 Incidents.” The investigation report, exclusively available with the Hum Investigation Team, offers in-depth insights into the scale of destruction incurred during the riots and the subsequent arrests that followed.

The report indicates that law enforcement agencies have apprehended 13,676 individuals from various regions across the country. These documented accounts underscore that the accused individuals were responsible for the damage inflicted on official buildings, private properties, residential houses, official vehicles, and various military installations and offices in different cities. The resulting damages tally exceeds Rs7 billion.

Punjab

The province of Punjab registered the highest property damage, reaching an approximate total of Rs5.5 billion. The destruction of vehicles and properties was reported in ten different cities within the province, including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, DG Khan, and Bahawalpur. Punjab also took the lead in terms of legal actions, with a recorded count of 298 First Information Reports (FIRs). These FIRs implicated approximately 34,892 individuals in acts of destruction, ultimately leading to the arrest of 7,515 individuals through legal channels.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa report spotlights several incidents of violence and property damage stemming from the May 9 protests. The Radio Pakistan building, as the report indicates, was subjected to an attack, including fires and the destruction of archives, resulting in a financial loss of Rs243 million. The following day, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s office in Peshawar also experienced an attack, leading to property damage and gunfire exchanges between attackers and law enforcement. This particular incident incurred a financial loss of Rs5.5 million.

Further losses arose from attacks on M-1 Charsadda and PRC Mardan, amounting to Rs49.6 million and Rs3.5 million, respectively. A toll plaza in Swabi faced property damage worth Rs35 million, while the Balambat Fort in Lower Dir endured a reported loss of Rs32.8 million. The FF Centre/CMH in Abbottabad also reported additional losses totaling Rs41.98 million. Collectively, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bore damages amounting to approximately Rs411.38 million due to these incidents. In response, law enforcement apprehended 4,886 individuals. Among them, 2,335 were booked under 109 FIRs filed under general law. Furthermore, 2,006 individuals were arrested under 22 FIRs filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and 545 individuals were detained under the 3-MPO.

Sindh

The Sindh report provides insight into the array of targeted properties during the incidents. These included damage to five motorcycles owned by civilians. Government vehicles also fell victim to the unrest, with a prison van, a police car, a water tanker, a public bus, and a police mobile van set ablaze. The unrest extended to traffic police posts, such as the one in Ferozabad, as well as a Rangers post in Block 6 PECHS.

The report also highlights the recovery of stolen items from the protestors, including 9,597 rounds, 13 hand grenades, 1 laptop, and 3 gallons of oil, alongside other equipment and furniture. In Sindh, 991 individuals faced accusations, of whom 356 have been detained in connection with these incidents in the province.

Balochistan

Balochistan witnessed the least amount of destruction, with 261 individuals accused of property damage. Among them, 51 people have been reported as arrested or detained. Additionally, sporadic chaos was reported in Gilgit-Baltistan, resulting in the arrest of 26 individuals. In AJ&K, 11 individuals have been apprehended in relation to the events, as per the report.