The videos that have been released of arsonists allegedly confessing to their crimes and saying that they were directed by PTI leaders do not appear to be the fulfillment of the PM’s promise that they were supposed to be. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif made all the right noises when he declared that all arsonists responsible for the attack on the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore must be arrested in 72 hours. They may be gratifying to some since they boosted the number of people in the ruling coalition who wanted to outlaw the PTI because it was a violent party by providing evidence that the PTI had engaged in rioting.
They do not, however, constitute admissible evidence in a court of law and cannot take the place of a full inquiry. Aside from legal tribunals, the court of public opinion is unlikely to be persuaded because the government is obviously tackling the issue using antiquated, conventional techniques. The screams of “Long live the Pak Army” at the conclusion of the videos don’t seem to be spontaneous, but rather the product of a producer’s mind. The general public is aware that third-degree torture may induce a suspect to confess to practically anything and incriminate anyone they choose. Therefore, no one will be persuaded by the publicly broadcast confessions.
There have also been a number of audio leaks of people who were reportedly participating in the incident. These at best serve as guidelines for conducting investigations and, barring the fulfillment of onerous requirements, do not constitute evidence. If someone who was caught up in an aggressive crowd must face the same harsh punishment as the leader is another problem that has come up at this point as recorded footage is being gathered in the impacted locations. Despite the COAS’s declaration that the Army will never forget the attacks, there has still been no full inquiry.
The fundamental issue is that the investigation is being undertaken less so to find the truth than to arrive at a predetermined conclusion. The PTI protests dominated last week’s events, but this week seems to be all about the administration and its various supporters, beneficiaries, and appendages. The top justice asked the government and the PTI to resume negotiations this week, but the courts arrived first. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requested a review of the April 4 ruling to hold polls on May 14 before a three-member SC bench. The hearing was viewed as important since it took place on May 15, the day after Punjab elections were postponed in defiance of court orders. Some even thought the court may issue Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his cabinet, the relevant departments, and the ECP a notice of contempt of court.
There may be several causes for this; One as a result of the audio leak between journalist and Khawaja Tariq Rahim.
This follows the ‘extraordinary relief’ granted to PTI Chairman Imran Khan by the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court after the SC ruled that his arrest was unlawful. We now have a reenergized coalition government as a result of this with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari reminding the PTI that this is their “last chance” to decide if they are a political party or a terrorist group.
Additionally, in Islamabad, the PDM staged a shockingly brief and unappealing dharna with some predictably anti-judiciary statements by Maryam Nawaz and Maulana Fazlur Rehman in order to send what is perceived as a rather clear (and painfully obvious) message.
The statements were powerful, but more than that, it was clear that this was a power play designed to illustrate that the PDM could easily eliminate supporters if necessary. According to speculation, the message was intended for the Supreme Court: if you can clear PTI protestors, what would you do if our protesters do the same? The nation has already been split into two opposing poles, resulting in a terrible inferno, if there ever was one.
