ISLAMABAD – Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Monday that those behind the May 9 violence must face justice, no matter their political influence. He warned that protest or pressure campaigns cannot undo a lawful court conviction.
Speaking in the Senate during a heated session, Tarar said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is now dealing with the consequences of its own actions. “What they sowed, they are now reaping,” he remarked. He pointed out that in 2018, Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan and surrendered to the law despite his wife being on her deathbed. “We faced the law, and they must do the same.”
He added that footage from May 9 clearly shows PTI leaders and workers attacking military and government sites, including Jinnah House in Lahore. “Everyone saw the videos on their TV screens. There is no hiding from the evidence,” he said. He insisted that such violent acts cannot go unanswered and that accountability is essential to uphold the rule of law.
The minister also mentioned that PML-N leaders, including Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz, spent months in jail during PTI’s government. “Our opposition leaders were behind bars, yet we respected the legal process,” he noted.
Tarar further recalled the case of Hanif Abbasi, who he claimed was wrongly sentenced by misrepresenting his legal pharmaceutical business as narcotics activity. “He suffered in jail and still sought relief only from the courts — not the streets,” he said.
In closing, he advised PTI leaders who disagree with their sentences to file appeals through proper legal channels. “Whether their claims are right or wrong, only the courts can decide. This Parliament cannot override court rulings,” he concluded.
