May 9 violence well-planned ‘false flag operation’ by govt to crush party: Imran

Lahore: Ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said the "law of the jungle" is prevailing in Pakistan and the May 9 violence following his arrest for alleged corruption was a "well-planned false flag operation" by the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and state institutions to crush his party.

Pakistan saw unprecedented nationwide anti-government protests following the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman by paramilitary Rangers in a corruption case on May 9. Khan, 70, was later released on bail.

Dozens of military installations and government buildings, including the military headquarters in Rawalpindi, were damaged or torched during the riots. Over 100 vehicles of police and other security agencies were set on fire.

"The May 9 was a well-planned false flag operation with the full backing of a controlled media and state institutions only with one purpose, to crush PTI," Khan said in a series of tweets. After the May 9 violence, the police backed by the military launched a crackdown on the PTI and arrested 10,000 party workers, including women. Over 100 have been handed over to the military for their trial under the Army Act. The PTI contests that its members were not involved in the attacks, but the government and military reject the claims and say they have "irrefutable evidence" of their involvement.