ATC reissues arrest warrants for CM Sohail Afridi, Junaid Akbar in Nov 26 protest case

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad has reissued arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Junaid Akbar and other accused in a case pertaining to the November 26 protest.

ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Supra heard the case, while police once again failed to submit the challan (charge sheet) before the court. The court directed the police to submit the case challan at the earliest and subsequently adjourned further proceedings until October 9.

The case was registered at Margalla Police Station against PTI leaders and workers in connection with the November 26 protest.

The court had previously issued arrest warrants against the accused, which have now been reissued as the proceedings continue.

On September 28, Peshawar High Court (PHC) had upheld the nomination of Afridi and other PTI leaders as accused in the May 9 Radio Pakistan attack case, rejecting a petition filed by the special prosecutor against the forensic and identity reports used in the investigation.

Police had named Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, PTI Peshawar president Irfan Saleem and another party activist as accused after forensic examination of video footage and verification by NADRA. The Punjab Forensic Science Agency examined 16 videos frame by frame and reported that the facial features of the four PTI leaders matched individuals seen in the footage. The forensic findings, however, were limited to identification and did not conclusively establish that the footage depicted the Radio Pakistan incident.

The case concerns the ransacking and burning of the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building during the unrest that followed the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. The building, which also housed Associated Press of Pakistan offices, was attacked and set on fire during the protests.

Earlier investigation report rejected

The Anti-Terrorism Court had earlier rejected an investigation report submitted by police as incomplete and inconclusive, directing the investigating officer to incorporate the PFSA and NADRA findings and submit a comprehensive report.

The ATC is already conducting the trial of 75 accused persons in the case. They were indicted on multiple charges in June 2025 and pleaded not guilty.

The latest PHC ruling allows the proceedings concerning the additional suspects to continue before the ATC. Radio Pakistan’s counsel Shabbir Hussain Gigyani said after the hearing that a conviction in the case could have consequences for Afridi’s position as chief minister, including possible disqualification, though any such consequences would depend on the outcome of the trial and applicable law.