Islamabad: The Pakistan Army said the violence following the arrest of Imran Khan was a ‘black chapter’ in the country’s history.
The army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement in Urdu said that the protests targeted army property and installations.
In a clear message to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the media wing reportedly said that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
The ISPR justified the arrest of Imran Khan referring to the statement by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), while adding that army properties and installations suffered a wave of attacks, according to news agency ANI.
The media wing raised concerns about the tactics of ‘certain elements’ within the protesting group, alongside condemning the ant-army chanting by protesters.
‘Soon after [Khan's arrest], there were organised attacks on army properties and installations and anti-army slogans were raised,’ The Express Tribune quoted the army as saying.
The ISPR said the protests were aimed at manipulating the country's sentiments for some ‘limited and selfish objectives’.
‘As per strategy, a situation was created to use the army's response for nefarious political purposes which was thwarted by the army's vigilant response,’ the ISPR in the statement said.
The ISPR further said that those behind planning and facilitating the incidents have been identified, and strict actions will be taken against them.
The army also warned of ‘strong and decisive action’ if any further attacks take place on military and its installations.
Imran khan’s arrest followed widespread violence in Pakistan with PTI workers storming even at the residence of the Corps Commander in Lahore, which was once the house of Mohammed Ali Jinnah.