PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) has objected to the appointment of an additional advocate general as the special prosecutor by the provincial government for the ongoing proceedings into the May 2023 ransacking and torching of the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.

Anti-terrorism court judge Wali Mohammad Khan fixed Jan 26 for hearing the PBC’s application and issued a notice to that AAG, Inam Khan Yousafzai.

The application was submitted by the PBC through its Peshawar’s station director, insisting that as AAG Yousafzai earlier appeared as the counsel for two of the accused in the case, he is not qualified to be appointed the special prosecutor for the ongoing trial.

Counsel for the PBC Shabbir Hussain Gigyani said that through a notification issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home and tribal affairs department on Dec 10, 2025, AAG Inam Khan Yousafzai was appointed the special prosecutor in five of the cases related to May 9 and 10, 2023, violent protests in the province, including the one about the ransacking and torching of the Radio Pakistan’s Peshawar building.

He added that Yousafzai had remained the defence lawyer in the case, he couldn’t represent the prosecution in the case under Rule 1458 of the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Rules, 1976. The lawyer requested the court to declare the impugned appointment of that counsel illegal and of no legal effect.

REPORT SUBMITTED: Investigation officer Inspector Khushal Khan submitted a Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) report about the forensic examination of some video clips allegedly related to the Radio Pakistan attack. He sought more time to procure and produce a report from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) about the facial recognition of the accused seen in the footage.

The court directed him to submit the report on Jan 26 and adjourned the hearing until then.

Last month, the ATC, accepting a plea of the PBC, ordered the forensic examination of the relevant videos and facial recognition of the accused through Nadra and PFSA.

The PBC station director had submitted that application to the ATC, seeking footage examination through the PFSA Lahore for its genuineness, the presence and participation of individuals and facial recognition by Nadra for identification of the accused in the incident, which took place during protests triggered by arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan in May 2023.

The ATC is holding the trial for the attack, with 75 accused, including some current and former lawmakers, being indicted on June 3, 2025, on multiple counts. The accused had pleaded not guilty.

Those facing trial include provincial minister Meena Khan Afridi, MNA Asif Khan, MPAs Fazal Ilahi Khan and Arbab Waseem, who left PTI and joined PTI-Parliamentarian, and former MPAs Arbab Jehandad, Fida Gul and Wajid Khan.

The FIR of the Radio Pakistan attack was registered at the East Cantonment police station on May 10, 2023, on the complaint of the then SHO, Arbab Naeem Haider, under different provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act. The complainant insisted that after smashing the main gate of the Radio Pakistan building, the mob set fire to the premises and vehicles parked there, spreading fear, terror and insecurity.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2026