PESHAWAR: Submitting a supplementary charge sheet in an anti-terrorism court, the prosecution on Tuesday added Sohail Afridi, who was removed as the chief minister with the imposition of governor’s rule, and four others as accused in the May 2023 ransacking and torching of the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.
As Judge Wali Mohammad Khan was absent, the hearing in the case was adjourned until Oct 28.
An official said the investigation officer in the case, DSP Khushal Khan, submitted the charge sheet to the district public prosecutor, who placed it on the court’s file.
The court is currently trying 75 accused in the case, including some serving and former lawmakers.
Hearing adjourned due to absence of judge
The prosecution has now named Sohail Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimoor Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem and another party activist, Amir Khan Chamkani, as accused.
The charge sheet was submitted in light of findings by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) regarding video clips purportedly showing the incident and profile pictures of certain suspects, respectively.
The investigation officer said that in light of the findings of the PFSA and Nadra, Radio Pakistan Peshawar station director Tufail Ahmad had recorded a supplementary statement in which he had also nominated five men as accused.
Last month, the investigation officer submitted a progress report. However, the court directed him to produce the charge sheet.
The submission of the charge sheet was delayed. The issue has remained a point of debate during the ongoing trial following the submission of forensic reports by the PFSA and Nadra early this year.
The reports identified Mr Afridi and the four others as suspects in the video footage and profile pictures provided for examination.
On an application filed by Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation’s lawyer Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, the court had ordered the forensic examination of the “relevant” videos and facial recognition of the accused through Nadra and PFSA on Dec 12, 2025.
In its report, the PFSA concluded that the facial features of the five men matched those of the suspects seen allegedly involved in rioting in the videos.
Similarly, Nadra’s report mentioned CNIC numbers apparently belonging to the five men, stating that these were probable matches for their profile pictures.
The Afridi-led KP government had appointed Additional Advocate General Nomanul Haq Kakakhel in the case.
While Mr Gigyani maintained that the video clips related to the attack on the Radio Pakistan building, PTI leaders questioned their authenticity, saying the clips did not pertain to the May 10, 2023, attack, which took place after the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan.
The ATC is currently conducting the trial of 75 accused, who were indicted on multiple counts on June 3, 2025. They 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-Parliamentarians, and former MPAs Arbab Jehandad, Fida Gul and Wajid Khan.
The FIR was registered at the East Cantonment police station on May 10, 2023, on the complaint of the then station house officer, Arbab Naeem Haider, under various provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2026
