Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, stated in an interview on ARY News that he does not disown Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers who made “mistakes,” referring to their involvement in the May 9 events.
“There are many of our [PTI] people who were uninformed or made mistakes, but I never disown them. They were my people. They were our party’s workers,” stated the CM KP.
Programme host Waseem Badami then asked Gandapur whether he believed those individuals should be punished or forgiven, to which Gandapur replied, “It is straightforward. Whatever the law says, the punishment should be according to the crime committed.
“I own them because if my worker has crossed a red line for any reason, whether it is ignorance, immaturity or emotions, there is a relative punishment in the law for crossing that line. That lawful punishment should be given to them.”
The Chief Minister, however, asserted that fairness does not justify unjust punishments, which must not be handed out to innocent people.
Badami also asked why Gandapur and his party did not publicly apologise for the May 9 accused if he accepted that they were “his people. “
CM KP replied with a stern expression, recalling that “my leader,” Imran Khan, had stated he was ready to be arrested. However, the manner of his arrest by the Rangers on May 9, 2023, within the court premises, was bound to provoke a reaction.
He added, “He is an internationally renowned leader, and they broke the windows, grabbed Imran Khan by the collar in front of everyone, and dragged him to the vehicle. This was a deliberate provocation, playing with the emotions of the people. It’s natural that, in such a protest, some individuals might cross a few lines. But does that mean they should be labelled as terrorists?”
As many as 25 civilians allegedly involved in the May 9 riots were sentenced by the military courts in December 2024. The sentences ranged from two to ten years and were handed out following the civilians’ court martial.
Previously, the seven-member constitutional bench of the Supreme Court on December 13 had allowed military courts to announce the decision of under custody civilians about the May 9 incidents.
“On May 9, the nation witnessed politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan,” announced the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) following the military courts’ verdict.