Pakistan’s army said it will no longer show “restraint” with groups attacking its property and vowed action against those who were part of protests after Imran Khan’s arrest last week, escalating a showdown with the former premier.
“The Armed Forces are well aware of the planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators of these attacks and attempts to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile,” the military said in a statement late Monday without naming anyone.
The army’s sharp reaction is the latest twist in an ongoing showdown between Pakistan’s most powerful institution and Khan, who was arrested by an anti-graft agency and later released by the Supreme Court. His detention sparked widespread anger among his supporters and some groups breached the military headquarters while others set fire to a military commander’s official residence.
Khan’s party denied its supporters vandalized army property.
“We also believe that those involved in terrorism against the state must be punished but it is very important that they should be correctly identified,” Shafqat Mahmood, a senior leader in Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf party said by phone. “There were people in the crowd who were not our supporters. Clearly they were outsiders.”
At least eight people were killed and scores more arrested, including close aides and political associates of Khan.
Pakistan’s currency is almost unchanged in intraday day trade Tuesday after the roller-coaster of the last week that saw it drop to a record low before a sharp rebound. Pakistan’s benchmark stock index gained 0.8% at 12:55 p.m. local time.
The increasingly public defiance against the military signals a shift in attitudes in Pakistan which has been directly ruled by the army for almost half of its history since its creation in 1947. Most prime ministers have depended on the institution’s support to stay in power, including Khan himself, but his ties worsened during his time in power.
Khan attempted to control military promotions, opposing the army chief at the time in an incident that sowed the seeds for his ouster in April last year. He accused the army of conspiring with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the US to oust him, which all three denied. But his campaign to turn public opinion against the military continued.
No direct reference was made to Khan in Monday’s statement but in the days leading to his arrest by paramilitary troops, the army criticized him for accusing the institution of being behind at least two assassination attempts, including a shooting incident in November. The military has consistently denied the allegations.
(Updates with market reaction.)
