PESHAWAR: Police have confirmed the presence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and several other political figures at the site of the Radio Pakistan attack during the May 9, 2023 protests of the PTI, according to a progress report submitted to an anti-terrorism court.
The report was submitted by police from Peshawar’s East Police Station during a hearing of the Radio Pakistan attack case.
According to the report, the police had obtained forensic verification of videos and photographs related to the attack from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency in Lahore following court orders.
Police said their designated officers had submitted the relevant videos and photographs for verification and had received the forensic reports.
The reports confirmed the presence of the individuals shown in the footage at the scene, police said.
According to the police report, the presence of KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, former provincial minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Irfan Saleem and Kamran Bangash was verified through NADRA records and forensic analysis.
The police said the individuals had been nominated as accused on the basis of NADRA records and reports from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency. The forensic findings also confirmed their identification through the video footage, according to the report.
The report added that the director of Radio Pakistan had already identified the accused and that his statement had been made part of the case record.
Police said they would submit a charge sheet against the nominated accused in court based on the findings of the progress report.
Radio Pakistan’s lawyer, Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, described the police report as significant, saying it named key accused in the case. He said police would now formally submit the charge sheet against them.
On May 9, 2023, protests erupted across Pakistan following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. Demonstrations turned violent in several areas, with government buildings and other public property attacked and damaged.
Radio Pakistan’s Peshawar premises were among the properties targeted during the unrest, where protesters allegedly vandalised the building and set parts of it on fire.
The latest development comes as Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is preparing for a planned long march to Islamabad, a move that has reportedly created tensions between the provincial government and the KP police.
The provincial government has also prepared a draft amendment to the police law proposing changes to the distribution of powers between the police and the provincial government.
Under the proposed amendments, key administrative and policy powers would be transferred to the provincial government. The draft also proposes giving the chief minister and provincial government powers over the appointment of the KP inspector general and transfers of senior police officers.
