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Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi addresses the Khyber Peace Jirga on Sunday. Photo: X
PESHAWAR:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) was told on Wednesday that the police wanted to nominate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi as an accused in a case related to an attack on Radio Pakistan in Peshawar on May 9, 2023, but the prosecution raised hurdles.
Advocate for Radio Pakistan Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, Special Prosecutor Naumanul Haq Kakakhel and Investigating Officer (IO) Inspector Khushhal Khan appeared before the ATC on Wednesday.
The counsel for Radio Pakistan informed the court that the IO intended to file a supplementary summons which included the names of CM Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, PTI Peshawar president Irfan Saleem and party worker Amir Chamkani.
He said the additional nominations were made on the basis of reports by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), but the prosecutor refused to accept the challenge for admission.
He filed an application in the ATC seeking contempt of court proceedings against the District Public Prosecutor and the CTD Senior Prosecutor for failing to bring the case to court.
In the petition, the applicant claimed that despite identifying the accused through forensic and NADRA reports, the prosecution was yet to file the case in court.
He stated that the police had already submitted the case file to the prosecution, but it had remained pending there and had not been forwarded to the court.
The petition alleged that the public prosecutor had delayed the case and asked the court to direct the relevant authorities to submit the case and proceed in accordance with the law.
The ATC asked the IO to submit the supplementary statement through the proper channel as it issued notices to the prosecution for contempt and directed submission of a report by March 17.
In a written order, the court noted that the IO sought additional time to file the petition, while the Radio Pakistan counsel filed a contempt of court petition against the district attorney, CTD senior prosecutor and the investigating officer.
Later, speaking to the media, a lawyer told Radio Pakistan that provincial ministers and legislators had been nominated in the case after forensic and identification reports.
“The police have now completed their investigation and sent the case files to the prosecutor’s office, but the public prosecutor has kept the case and has not forwarded it for further processing,” he said, urging the prosecutor’s office to carry out its duties in accordance with the law.
