Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and four other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures have been named as accused in a case related to the May 2023 attack on the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.
The prosecution submitted a supplementary charge sheet to an anti-terrorism court on Tuesday in connection with the alleged ransacking and arson at the state broadcaster’s building.
According to an official, investigation officer DSP Khushal Khan prepared and submitted the supplementary charge sheet to the district public prosecutor, who subsequently placed the document on the court record.
The individuals named in the document include former provincial ministers Taimoor Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash. PTI Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem and party activist Amir Khan Chamkani have also been named as accused.
The case relates to the unrest that followed the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in May 2023, when protests and clashes were reported in several parts of Pakistan. The Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar was among the public properties targeted during the disturbances.
The latest development means the named individuals will face proceedings in connection with the allegations included in the supplementary charge sheet. Being named as an accused does not by itself establish guilt, which will be determined through the judicial process.
The anti-terrorism court will now proceed with the case according to the applicable legal procedure. Further hearings are expected to determine the next steps in the proceedings and address the allegations against those named in the charge sheet.
The case remains part of the wider legal proceedings stemming from the May 2023 protests and violence across the country.
