ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) accepted an appeal by Radio Pakistan Peshawar seeking transfer of trial of the May 9, 2023 violence-related case to Islamabad or another province for preliminary hearing and issued notices to all parties in the case.
A two-member bench of the FCC, comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Arshad Hussain, also stayed the proceedings in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) until further order.
The appeal, filed through lawyer Syed Zulfqar Abbas Naqvi, claims that 74 suspects, including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Fazal Elahi, Samiullah, Adeel Ahmed, Mina Khan, Arbab Wasim and Asif Khan, have been named in the case.
He maintains that provincial ministers and members of the provincial assembly are attempting to influence judicial proceedings. The provincial cabinet reportedly approved delaying prosecution in cases related to the May 9 and 10 incidents.
Furthermore, the KP chairman formed a parallel special committee to investigate the events of May 9, which included several suspects named in the attack case. This notification was later declared invalid by the Peshawar High Court.
The appeal further states that the Punjab Forensic Laboratory and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) have completed the verification of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Taimoor Saleem, Kamran Bangash, Irfan Saleem and Amir Khan.
The appeal highlights that prosecution witnesses face threats. He requests the court to have the trial held in Islamabad or another province to ensure impartiality.
Radio Pakistan Peshawar emphasized that the involvement of senior officials and assembly members in the case has created interference in court proceedings, prompting the transfer request.
