ANP’s Senator Zahid Khan has called it a “right decision” of the army to take action against the perpetrators of the May 9 riots, saying that if an action was not taken then other groups would also carry out such attacks.

“I know it would have been a difficult decision for the military leadership. But unfortunately, it was the establishment of the past which laid the foundation of what has become a big problem for it,” he said on Aaj News show Faisla Aap Ka on Monday.

He recalled the “injustices” being done to the ANP, PML-N and PPP in the past. The ANP leader said that the political leaders criticise the government policies but never went to such an extent that would make the country a “laughing stock”.

In a rare public announcement on Monday, Pakistan Army’s spokesperson said that the army has sacked three army officers, including a lieutenant general, for their failure to prevent the violent protests of May 9.

“The army has completed a process of internal accountability,” Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Major General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a press conference in Islamabad.

“As of now, a granddaughter of a retired four-star general, son-in-law of a retired four-star star general, wife of a retired three-star general, and wife and son-in-law of a retired two-star general are facing this process of accountability on the basis of irrefutable evidence,” said Chaudhry.

Maj-Gen Sharif added that as many as 17 standing military courts were functioning in which the trial of “102 miscreants” was under way and the process would continue.

On the show, PML-N’s Senator Afnan Ullah Khan said that accountability was best when it was started from the inside which increases its morality. He was responding to a question regarding action taken against military officials’ family members.

“If they [army] had spared their own and took action against others [civilians], which has been done in the past, then it would have been seen as victimisation of a certain group. People would not have taken it seriously,” he added.

Khan said that the PTI and its chief were out of control as they would threaten and level allegations against everyone. “Unfortunately, the state was continuously giving in from the attack on PTV and Parliament to the rigging in the 2018 election. This is the first time they [PTI] are facing the consequences for their crimes.”

PPP’s Nawab Taimur Talpur said that the ISPR DG’s press conference was a “clear message” that the perpetrators of the May 9 would be brought to justice without any discrimination.

“When the army did not spare its own officials for the May 9 riots, then it is very clear that no one will be left unpunished. I think there will be a strong reaction from the army if other [civilians] are not punished for their involvement in the May 9 protests,” he added.