LAHORE: Firdous Ashiq Awan, Central Secretary Information of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), has called for military trials of suspects involved in May 9 riots, wherein military installations including Jinnah House in Lahore came under attack, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Taking to Twitter, the former Punjab minister said that the suspects who attacked the Military installations should be tried in the military courts.

9 مئی کو کو فوجی تنصیبات پر حملہ کرنے والوں کا ٹرائل فوجی عدالتوں میں ہی ہونا چاہئے۔

ملک کسی شرپسند سے نرمی کا متحمل نہیں ہوسکتا۔ تمام مرکزی کرداروں کو آئین اور قانون کے مطابق انکے عمل کی سزا ملنی چاہئے۔

جو پارٹی ملکی سالمیت کی حدود سے واقف نہیں اسے سیاست میں بھی رہنے کا کوئی…

— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) June 24, 2023

Firdous Ashiq Awan noted a country cannot afford ‘leniency’ towards any miscreant. “All planners should be punished for their actions according to the constitution and law,” she added.

Without naming any political party, Awan said that the party, which is not aware of the limits of national integrity, should have “no right to be party of country’s politics”.

“Now there is no room for a handsome Gorbachev [Russian President] in Pakistani politics,” the IPP leader added.

Last month, the government decided to try the suspects accused of attacking military installations on May 9 under army laws.

Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

Read More: US aware of military trials after May 9 incidents: State Dept spox

Army installations, Corps Commander’s house in Lahore and General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi came under attack during a protest by PTI workers.

So far, a Lahore anti-terrorism court has sanctioned the handing over of 16 May 9 suspects to the military and a Rawalpindi court has approved the handing over of another eight suspects.

Read More: Military courts trial: SC likely to announce verdict on Tuesday

The Pakistan Army Act (PAA), 1952, and Official Secrets Act, 1923 allow trying civilians in military courts only in narrowly defined circumstances, including for inciting mutiny, spying, and taking photographs of “prohibited” places.