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Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi addresses the Khyber Peace Jirga on Sunday. Photo:
PESHAWAR:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) was told on Wednesday that the police wanted to name 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 was creating hurdles.
Radio Pakistan’s lawyer Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, special public prosecutor Naumanul Haq Kakakhel and inspector investigating officer (IO) Khushhal Khan appeared before the ATC on Wednesday.
Radio Pakistan’s lawyer informed the court that the IO intended to file a supplementary challan, 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 based on reports from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), but the public prosecutor was refusing to receive the challan for registration.
He filed a complaint with the ATC seeking contempt of court proceedings against the district attorney and senior CTD prosecutor for not submitting the challan to the court.
In the petition, the petitioner argued that despite identifying the accused through forensic and NADRA reports, the prosecution was yet to file the challan before the court.
He stated that the police had already submitted the file to the district attorney, but that it was still pending there and had not been forwarded to the court.
The petition contended that the DA was delaying the case and requested the court to direct the relevant authorities to file the challan and proceed in accordance with the law.
The ATC asked the IO to file the supplementary challan through proper channel as it issued notices to the prosecution regarding the contempt plea and ordered submission of a report by March 17.
In a written order, the court noted that the IO sought more time to file the challan, while Radio Pakistan’s counsel filed a contempt of court petition against the district attorney, CTD senior prosecutor and the investigation officer.
Later, speaking to the media, Radio Pakistan’s lawyer said that provincial ministers and legislators had been nominated in the case following forensic and identification reports.
“The police have completed their investigation and sent the file to the prosecutor’s office, but the district attorney has kept the file and has not forwarded it for further proceedings,” he said, urging the prosecutor’s office to perform its duties in accordance with the law.
