File photo of a press conference addressed by the caretaker Punjab C.M. and IGP
The Punjab caretaker government on Thursday announced that trials of suspected May 9 rioters will be conducted in jail on a daily basis.
In a statement issued after a meeting presided by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the provincial government said participants had reviewed the progress in legal proceedings against people suspected of attacking civil and military assets on May 9. It said the suspects had been charged under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act, adding that 200 suspects had already been acquitted after being proven innocent.
The meeting’s participants stressed on the need—as earlier also directed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif—to present “strong evidence” against the suspects during their trials, adding that no leniency would be shown to any suspects involved in the May 9 riots.
Relevant authorities, per the statement, informed the meeting that relevant departments would be informed about the trial proceedings in jail on a daily basis. “Expedite the legal action against the culprits and make sure that absconding suspects are arrested at the earliest,” Naqvi was quoted as saying to the authorities concerned.
The Punjab government has, by some estimates, arrested over 3,000 PTI leaders, workers and supporters for their alleged involvement in the May 9 riots. Of these, per authorities, 1,200 suspects have been released due to lack of evidence. The PTI has alleged that its workers have been mistreated in prison, with government officials rejecting these claims and maintaining that everyone is being treated with dignity and in accordance with the charges against them.