Why Pakistan considers May 9 as its 'Black Day'

On the eve of the first year anniversary of the May 9 violence, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari called the occasion a “dark day” in the country’s history.

To mark the first anniversary of the tragic day, Zardari shared a sombre message on X, formally known as Twitter. “May 9, 2023, will always be remembered as a dark day in Pakistan’s history when a politically instigated mob ran amok across the country, damaging public property and military installations,” he said in his message, which was released on the eve of the “black day”.

The Pakistani president insisted that the May 9 violence “severely tarnished” the country’s image globally and thus only “served the interests of Pakistan’s enemies”.

He went on to refer to the riot as an “attempt to challenge the writ of the state, undermine the rule of law and weaken institutions”. “We have never seen such vandalism in responsible democracies, with violent mobs wreaking havoc on state properties for political gains,” he remarked.

Zardari urged the country’s parliament, political parties, media and civil society to strengthen democracy by upholding the rule of law. “The current political situation demands that all political parties work towards promoting tolerance, democratic values, political dialogue and provide a clear direction to the nation,” he concluded.

But what exactly happened on May 9 and why is it considered a dark day in Pakistan’s history?

What happened on May 9?

On May 9, 2023, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan dragged from the Islamabad High Court by Pakistan rangers. After hours of suspense over where he was taken, reports emerged that Khan was arrested in the Al Qadir Trust Case.

The image of the country’s ex-PM and cricketing legend getting dragged by the collar by law enforcement agencies sparked violent demonstrations across the country. The supporters of Khan were enraged by the arbitrary arrest and claimed that he was facing “political persecution”.

The blue-eyed cricketing legend was ousted as the country’s prime minister in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. However, Khan still remains a leading Opposition to the country’s ruling regime.

What is the Al-Qadir Trust Case?

Under the Al-Qadir Trust Case, Khan along with his wife Bushra Bibi and some leaders of his party — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were facing an inquiry which was being conducted by Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The inquiry was related to a settlement made by Khan’s then government-and a property tycoon. NAB alleged that the settlement between the two parties reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

NAB accused Khan and Co. of adjusting the amount which was actually sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government, as a part of the agreement with the real estate tycoon.

Khan’s wife Bushra was also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa. This land was eventually used to establish the infamous Al Qadir University.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are covered with a white sheet as they arrive to appear at the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan. Reuters

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are covered with a white sheet as they arrive to appear at the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan. Source File Image / Reuters

When Khan was in office, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) seized assets worth 190 million pounds from the same property tycoon in Britain. The British agency assured that they would be passing the money to the government of Pakistan since it was a “civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt”.

During the proceedings, Khan got approval for a settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement. It was eventually decided that the money would be transferred to the country’s Supreme Court.

However, NAB alleged that Khan and his wife obtained land worth billions of rupees from the property tycoon, in return for striking a deal with the British agencies and recovering the tycoon’s black money from the UK crime agency.

The violence

Shortly after the arrest of Khan, his supporters conducted nationwide demonstrations. At least 14 people died in the clashes between the protesters and police across the country. What made these clashes so significant is the fact that this time the dissenters attacked the military infrastructure of Pakistan.

Smoke engulfs the skies of Pakistan as riot-like situation erupted after Khan’s arrest. Source: File Image / AP

Smoke engulfed the skies of Pakistan as a riot-like situation erupted after Khan’s arrest. Source: File Image / AP

Khan’s party workers were accused of vandalising the Jinnah House which was the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander. They also caused a rampage at Mianwali Airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad.

Recalling the horrors of the violence many claimed that Pakistan burned like never before.

Trials and Tribulations

After the demonstrations rocked the Pakistani army, the body immediately made it clear that any escalation of attack would be dealt with in full force. “May 9 will be remembered as a dark chapter,” read the statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

“The army showed patience and restraint and exercised extreme tolerance, not even caring about its reputation, in the larger interest of the country,” the media wing of the Pakistani army furthered in the statement which was released a day after the protests.

However, the country’s military did not show patience when it came to putting the case on trial. Despite strong opposition, the country’s army remained adamant about the fact that the case would be tried in the military court.

The case dealt with 103 civilians for their alleged role. Not only this, the Pakistani military also fired three senior army officers in June last year. They were fired due to their failure to prevent violent attacks on public property and military installations.

Despite all the trials and tribulations, in March this year, the Supreme Court of Pakistan unanimously declared that trying the accused civilians in military courts was ultra vires in the Constitution.

The Pakistani Supreme Court. Source: AP

Khan’s still in jail

Despite all the mayhem, the former Pakistani premier continues to remain in jail for different cases. He was unable to contest the elections and the then-ruling regime came back to power. In light of  this, many asked “Was this mayhem worth it?”

Top Pakistani politicians continue to play a blame game over the matter. While the ruling regime accused Khan’s supporter of all the violence, the former prime minister called it a “conspiracy against him”.

Earlier today, Khan refused to tender an apology over the riots. He insisted that he was under detention when the violence broke out and he was completely unaware of what was happening.

The PTI founder mentioned that he became aware of the protests when he appeared before the then-chief justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial. “I had already condemned those violent protests,” he added. Overall, it is still not clear who was actually responsible for the demonstrations.

With inputs from agencies.