Abdul Basit Alvi
The moment shocked the world. Two planes, hijacked by Al Qaeda extremists vowing death to
all Americans, plowed into both towers at the World Trade Center in New York. Another plane
was flown into the Pentagon in Washington, DC. A fourth plane, presumably headed for the
White House or the U.S. Capitol, was heroically diverted by passengers and ended up crashing in
an empty field in Pennsylvania. After reports of the first plane hitting the North Tower, millions
watched the second plane hit the South Tower on live television. September 11 attacks, also
called 9/11 attacks, series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001 by 19
militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against targets in the United
States, the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil in U.S. history. The attacks against New
York City and Washington, D.C., caused extensive death and destruction and triggered an
enormous U.S. effort to combat terrorism. Some 2,750 people were killed in New York, 184 at
the Pentagon, and 40 in Pennsylvania (where one of the hijacked planes crashed after the
passengers attempted to retake the plane); all 19 terrorists died. Police and fire departments in
New York were especially hard-hit: hundreds had rushed to the scene of the attacks, and more
than 400 police officers and firefighters were killed.Whereas, On 9 May 2023, former Pakistani
Prime Minister and politician Imran Khan was arrested from inside the High Court in Islamabad
by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the charges of corruption in connection with the
Al-Qadir Trust, which he owns alongside his wife, Bushra Bibi. Following Khan's arrest, his
party called for demonstrations. In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, violent confrontations between
the police and PTI supporters were witnessed followed by a crackdown on party supporters. In
Rawalpindi, sensitive installations, including GHQ and Hamza Camp (Ojhri Camp), were
targeted by the PTI supporters. Two police officials –Waris Khan DSP Tahir Sikandar and Ratta
Amral SHO Chaudhry Riaz were also injured in an altercation with the PTI workers. The metro
bus service was also suspended between the two cities.In Lahore, the PTI workers gathered at
Liberty Chowk and started marching towards the Cantonment. The announcements were made
on social media sites to reach the Cantonment to protest outside the military corps commander’s
house. In footage circulating on different social media platforms, the PTI workers carrying clubs
and party flags reached the corps commander’s house in the Cantonment area. The protestors
forced their way into the house while chanting slogans against the arrest of their chairman. They
were also seen breaking the windowpanes, TV, and furniture of the house and also setting the
trees and furniture on fire. In another video, the PTI activists could also be seen pelting stones
and bottles at an army convoy on Mall Road. The workers also set police vehicles outside
Fortress Stadium Lahore on fire in addition to several security posts in the Cantt. In Karachi,
hundreds of PTI workers took to the street in different parts of the province against the arrest of
party chairman Imran Khan prompting action from the police resulting in the arrest of Ali Zaidi,
a couple of MPAs, and dozens of opposition party workers. Sharah e Faisal turned into a
battleground hardly an hour after the arrest of Mr Khan when PTI Karachi chapter president
Aftab Siddiqi urged the workers to reach Insaf House – the party headquarters. As the workers
marched on Sharea Faisal suspending traffic on the key road link, the police resorted to baton-
charge and teargas shelling which attracted a strong reaction from the protests. In a three-hour-
long face-off between police and the protesters, over a dozen vehicles, including a police van,
and two check posts each of the Karachi police and Pakistan Rangers were set on fire. In KP,
after learning about the arrest of the PTI chief, scores of the opposition party’s workers reached
the Hashtnagar Chowk in Peshawar blocking the Grand Trunk Road. The protesters torched the
replica of the Chaghi Mountain, where Pakistan conducted its first nuclear test in 1998.
They also smashed the main gate of the provincial assembly’s building and threw stones inside the
premises. In Quetta, one person was killed and over a dozen injured, including six police
personnel were injured in clashes between workers in clashes between the protesting PTI
workers and police during a demonstration against the arrest of Imran Khan. In Gilgit-Baltistan,
protesters blocked many roads, including Karakoram Highway, at various points, leaving a
number of travelers stranded. The incidents were the result of motivated speeches and
encouragement from Imran Khan and his party leadership. We have already seen the speeches of
Imran Khan and Viral videos of PTI leadersIt should be noted that after 9/11, the United States
established military courts for the alleged perpetrators and facilitators (to which the media had no
access and their decisions could not be appealed in any court) in Guantánamo Bay and
waterboating during the investigation. Not only did they commit inhumane atrocities, but they
also attacked Afghanistan. Thus, the United States has no justification for shouting about the
actions of the state of Pakistan against the action against the perpetrators of May 9. In September
2001 President Bush signs into law a joint resolution authorizing the use of force against those
responsible for attacking the United States on September 11. This joint resolution will later be
cited by the Bush administration as legal rationale for its decision to take sweeping measures to
combat terrorism, including invading Afghanistan, eavesdropping on U.S. citizens without a
court order, and standing up the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The U.S. military,
with British support, begins a bombing campaign against Taliban forces, officially launching
Operation Enduring Freedom. Australia, Canada, France, and Germany pledge future support.
The war’s early phase mainly involves U.S. air strikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban forces that are
assisted by a partnership of about one thousand U.S. special forces, the Northern Alliance, and
ethnic Pashtun anti-Taliban forces. The first wave of conventional ground forces arrives twelve
days later. Most of the ground combat is between the Taliban and its Afghan opponents. USA
pushed whole world into Afghan war after the incidents of 9/11.On the other hand, May 9th
incidents of Pakistan were unique in the sense that these wore planned and executed by a
political party from within the country. According to some reports the incidents were not only
meant to attack on army installations but were planned to divide the nation and army. They
wanted to bring people and army in front of each other but the situation was very cleverly
handled by Pak Army.Readers, the point is that, the standards should be same for both cases. If
any other country is free to handle terrorists according to their laws and regulations then Pakistan
also has the same right. Champions of human rights were silent when thousands of innocent
Afghanis lost their lives in drone attacks and bombardment but they shout in case of Pakistan
when our law enforcement agencies are aimed to arrest and punish our terrorists with clear
proofs and evidences. Its need of the time that Pakistan don’t accept pressure from any side in
order to strictly punish the terrorists of May 9 incident in accordance with our laws and
regulations.