Suspended KP CM formally named in May 9 Radio Pakistan attack charge sheet

Suspended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures were formally named as accused in the May 9, 2023 Radio Pakistan Peshawar arson and vandalism case on Tuesday, October 13, after police submitted a supplementary charge sheet to the District Public Prosecutor’s Office.

What forensic evidence and findings are detailed in the police charge sheet?

The supplementary investigation report, officially placed on the court record before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), expanded the list of accused in the case to more than 80 individuals following the addition of five suspects: Sohail Afridi, former provincial finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, former higher education minister Kamran Bangash, Irfan Saleem, and Muhammad Aamir.

According to the investigating officer, all five were named on the basis of forensic analyses conducted by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) and facial recognition verification by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Investigators had previously dispatched 16 video recordings of the violent demonstrations to the PFSA for forensic scrutiny. The forensic agency submitted its report in January, followed by NADRA's identification confirmation report in February, with both documents reportedly confirming the presence of the nominated PTI leadership at the scene. Following the submission of the completed charge sheet, the court adjourned the hearing until October 28.

What are the legal implications for Afridi amid the ongoing political crisis in KP?

The formalization of charges introduces immediate legal consequences for Afridi, arriving two days after the federal government dismissed his provincial administration and placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Governor's Rule via Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.

Legal analysts note that while former ministers Kamran Bangash and Taimur Saleem Jhagra have secured pre-arrest bail, Afridi has not obtained protective bail in the matter, enabling authorities to formally declare him arrested under anti-terrorism provisions following his recent administrative detention.

The storming and burning of the historic Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar was among the most severe incidents during the nationwide unrest of May 9, 2023, which erupted after paramilitary Rangers arrested PTI founder Imran Khan at the Islamabad High Court. The subsequent protests saw attacks on government buildings and military sites across the country, leading to mass arrests under anti-terrorism legislation.

Defense counsel plans to challenge the supplementary challan and petition the court for legal protections ahead of the October 28 hearing.