Punjab home dept prepares detailed report on May 9 riots

Lahore: The Punjab Home Department submitted a detailed report on May 9 riots  to the relevant government authorities, the sources privy to the development said Saturday.

The Punjab government Standing Committee on law and order, the sources said, also confirmed the report.

“The report containing 17 pages has now been made proper record of the official documents,” the sources further said.

According to the report, the May 9 riots were tantamount to attack on the state and it held the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters responsible for this. The report also held that the said attack was in the style of the prohibited Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The report further said that there is evidence that the May 9 plan was already prepared, and that state institutions were attacked under the leadership of PTI. The agenda of the leadership was only to attack the state institutions. It further stated that the plans to target military installations were made earlier.

PTI workers attacked General Headquarters (GHQ) Building, Corps Headquarters, Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) offices, Airbase, Martyrs' Memorial and Minsk buildings were part of the plan. The report also held the PTI central leadership and the local leadership responsible for the May 9 incidents while the people were provoked through phone calls and social media platforms by the party leadership in this regard.

The report also mentioned the names behind provocation through the social media including Hammad Azhar, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Ali Abbas, Andalib Abbas, Mian Mahmoodul Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Murad Ras, Mansab Awan, Azam Khan Niazi and Bajash Niazi.

The attack on Jinnah house caused huge loss of Rs1.5b, it added.