An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Peshawar on Wednesday reissued arrest warrants for suspended Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in connection with the May 9, 2023, attack on the Radio Pakistan building, while extending the interim bail of three former provincial ministers until November 17.
The case stems from violent protests that erupted following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, during which protesters allegedly attacked and set fire to the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.
The case was registered on a complaint filed by Radio Pakistan, naming Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash and Irfan Saleem, along with Aamir Khan Chamkani, among the accused.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Jhagra, Bangash and Saleem appeared before ATC Judge Wali Mohammad accompanied by their lawyers.
Their counsel requested additional time to prepare for the hearing.
“We are not prepared today. We should be given time, and the hearing should be adjourned,” the lawyers told the court.
Accepting the request, the judge adjourned proceedings until November 17 and extended the interim bail granted to the three former ministers until the next hearing.
The court also reissued arrest warrants for Afridi, who remained absent from the proceedings.
At an earlier hearing on October 28, the ATC had issued arrest warrants for Afridi, Jhagra, Bangash, Saleem and Chamkani after the prosecution submitted its challan, formally identifying them as accused in the case.
As part of the investigation, the court obtained forensic reports from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in Islamabad and the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory to establish the identities of individuals appearing in video recordings and photographs of the May 9 violence.
Radio Pakistan’s counsel previously informed the court that footage of the attack was available and claimed that forensic analysis had established the presence of the accused at the scene.
The allegations remain subject to judicial determination as proceedings in the case continue.
The court is scheduled to resume hearing the matter on November 17.