- The court requires full forensic documentation by February 14 at the latest.
- CM says USB sent as per court orders.
- The police are awaiting the court’s direction to investigate the CM.
PESHAWAR: Fresh controversy erupted in the case on May 9 after reports by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency and Nadra linked video evidence to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, prompting the court to seek a full report on February 14. The news reported.
According to official reports received from the Forensic Science Agency of Punjab, the evidence in the case has been linked to CM Afridi, while a separate verification report by Nadra has also identified material related to him.
The court has ordered that the full forensic and verification reports be produced on February 14. The police have maintained that if the court so directs, they will formally investigate the KP chief minister in the case.
Meanwhile, questions have surfaced on social media whether the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police itself sent the evidence pertaining to the chief minister to the Punjab forensic laboratory or whether the material was sent strictly on court orders.
speaks to The newsCM Afridi said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police had not sent the material on its own. He said the court handed over a sealed envelope containing a USB drive to the investigating officer and ordered that it be sent to the forensic laboratory.
According to the Chief Minister, neither his lawyer nor the investigating officer was informed about the contents of the USB. He said his lawyer requested that the material be shown in court but the judge did not allow it, adding that the material was aired in what he described as an unfair practice.
Sohail Afridi further said that the court asked forensic experts to determine if the person appearing in the video was him. He said the experts confirmed that the person in the footage was indeed him.
“But the real question is whether Sohail Afridi has any connection with the May 9 incidents or not,” the chief minister said. He added that so far no investigation has been conducted against him by the police in connection with the case.
Separately, Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mian Saeed told The news that the police had already completed their investigation into the case and presented the case to the court.
He said that after the defense counsel presented certain material to the court, the court ordered that the USB device be handed over to the police. Subsequently, the court directed the police to send the USB to Punjab Forensic Science Agency and Nadra for verification.
The CCPO said both the forensic and Nadra reports had been submitted to the court and formally included in the case record. He added that further steps would now be taken in accordance with the next court order.
According to the CCPO, CM Afridi will also be investigated if the court issues instructions. He said it would now be up to the court to determine whether the video and images have any connection with the May 9 incident in Peshawar.
