Sohail Afridi, three other PTI leaders named in Radio Pakistan attack case

PESHAWAR: Police on Thursday submitted an investigation report before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the May 9 Radio Pakistan attack case, naming Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, former provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, and PTI Peshawar president Irfan Saleem among the accused.

The report was submitted before ATC Judge Wali Mohammad during the hearing of the case concerning the ransacking and torching of the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building during the May 9, 2023 unrest.

The investigating officer told the court that the police had completed their report and named the suspects in it.

The officer said that the findings of Radio Pakistan, forensic reports of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) also helped identify the suspects.

Judge Wali Mohammad directed the investigating officer to submit the challan at the earliest.

The judge also observed that the arrest of the accused was a matter for the police and directed the investigation officer to complete the legal process.

The officer requested more time to submit the challan, assuring the court that it would be filed.

Court had rejected earlier police report

The latest development came days after the ATC rejected an earlier investigation report submitted by the police, terming it incomplete and inconclusive.

On September 18, Judge Wali Mohammad directed the investigating officer to submit a conclusive report after taking into account forensic findings by the PFSA and identification reports from NADRA.

The court had fixed September 24 as the next date of hearing and ordered the investigation officer and DSP Khushal Khan to submit a comprehensive report.

The earlier report had become a point of contention because it did not contain a clear opinion from the investigating officer on the findings of the forensic agencies.

Forensic report identifies PTI leaders in footage

The case took a significant turn earlier this year after the PFSA examined video footage related to the May 9 incidents.

According to the forensic report, 16 videos submitted by Peshawar police were analysed frame by frame.

The laboratory said the facial features of Sohail Afridi, Taimur Jhagra, Kamran Bangash and Irfan Saleem matched those of individuals appearing in the footage.

The forensic examination, however, was limited to visual material. The laboratory also reported that while several videos showed no evidence of editing, some clips contained indications of added text or logos, while signs of clip splicing were detected in two videos involving Sohail Afridi and Irfan Saleem.

The PFSA report itself established identification of individuals appearing in the footage; it did not, according to a subsequent Dawn report, state that the videos were footage of the Radio Pakistan occurrence.

NADRA was also asked to verify the identities of the individuals whose profile photographs were provided for comparison.

Earlier dispute over nomination

In March, police had nominated Sohail Afridi, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash, Irfan Saleem and PTI activist Amir Khan Chamkani — but the prosecution had initially not submitted the report or challan to the ATC.

The Radio Pakistan administration subsequently approached the court, seeking directions for the prosecution to submit the report.

The ATC had already been conducting the trial of 75 accused persons, including serving and former lawmakers. They were indicted on multiple charges in June 2025 and pleaded not guilty.

What happened at Radio Pakistan

The case relates to the attack on the historic Radio Pakistan Peshawar building during the unrest that followed the arrest of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.

The building, which also housed offices of Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), was ransacked and set on fire during the protests.

The FIR was registered at the East Cantonment Police Station on May 10, 2023, on the complaint of the then SHO Arbab Naeem Haider under provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act.

The prosecution case has involved a large number of accused, while the latest proceedings concern the police investigation into the additional suspects identified through video and identity verification.

Defence and prosecution positions

The forensic identification has been disputed in the legal proceedings.

During an earlier hearing in March, Special Prosecutor Naumanul Haq Kakakhel argued that the available video evidence was insufficient to establish the involvement of Sohail Afridi and other leaders in the Radio Pakistan attack. He said the footage showed resemblance but did not conclusively establish that the videos depicted the Radio Pakistan attack.

The latest police report has now named the four individuals in the case, with the court directing investigators to proceed with submission of the challan.

The legal proceedings will determine the next stage of the case, including the status of the newly nominated accused and the evidentiary material relied upon by the prosecution.