ISLAMABAD — The Cabinet Division of Pakistan established a five-member committee on Saturday to identify the “role of mastermind, planners, facilitators, and executors” of the incidents that unfolded on May 9, 2023. These events encompassed nationwide violence triggered by the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Imran Khan was apprehended by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on May 9, 2023, at the Islamabad High Court in the Al Qadir Trust case. The arrest, carried out with the assistance of paramilitary Rangers, led to countrywide protests marked by vandalism and violence.
The military labeled the May 9 events a “dark chapter” and announced its intention to prosecute the rioters under various laws, including the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act. The National Security Committee, the country’s principal decision-making forum on foreign policy and national security, endorsed this decision despite opposition from rights organizations and activists.
In addition to ongoing legal proceedings, the caretaker government has now established a committee to investigate the incidents.
The committee, as per a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, includes the Minister for Law and Justice, Minister for Interior, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Minister for Human Rights, and “any co-opted member to address any issue emanating during the proceedings of the committee.”
The terms of references for the committee, outlined in the notification, involve examining the May 9 incidents to determine the identity and role of masterminds, planners, facilitators, and executors. The committee is also tasked with analyzing the causes, determining responsibility for the events, and evaluating their immediate and long-term implications.
Furthermore, the committee is mandated to suggest preventive measures to avoid a recurrence of such breaches of national security and recommend ways to strengthen the existing legal regime.
The Ministry of Interior will provide secretarial support to the committee, which is expected to submit its report for cabinet consideration within 14 days.