NA demands immediate action against May 9 attackers under Army Act

ISLAMABAD:   The National Assembly on Monday demanded immediate and strict action against the violent actors involved in attacks on defence installations on May 9 under Army Act 1952.

In this regard, the Lower House of the Parliament passed a resolution condemning the violence on May 9 in the strongest terms and noted that like rest of the world, Pakistan defence forces also reserved legal and constitutional right to carry out actions against such attackers under Army Act.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif presented the resolution to condemn the violence on May in the House which was adopted by a majority vote. Asif said that all the attacks on defence installations were carried out under a well-conceived plan. “Around 85 aircrafts were parked at Mianwali airbase and bids were made to set all of them on fire,” he added.

He told the house that the government had not set any new precedent of prosecuting cases against attackers on military installations in military courts as “it was a precedent in the world that whoever carried out attack on any defence installation was prosecuted in a military court. Therefore, cases against those who targeted aircrafts and Balahisar Fort will be prosecuted under Army Act 1952” he said categorically.

The draft of the resolution stated that a political party along with its chairman committed blatant violations of law by carrying out attacks on defence installation. Actions of this political party and its chairman inflicted irreparable damages to country, state and state institutions and all the proofs in this regard are available. Hence, strict and immediate legal action should be taken against them sad the defence minister.

The house demanded preservation of basic human rights in the prosecution of miscreants and criminals and the House also termed allegations and propaganda of a political party regarding violation of human rights of detained people as baseless, false and based on falsehood.