Peshawar anti-terrorism court issues arrest warrants for Sohail Afridi and four others in Radio Pakistan attack case
File photo of Peshawar, the city where the court sits.
PESHAWAR — An anti-terrorism court in Peshawar has issued arrest warrants for former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi and four other men in the case over the attack on the Radio Pakistan building. The case goes back to the violent protests of May 9 and 10, 2023, which followed the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, when crowds targeted the broadcaster’s Peshawar premises, vandalising parts of the building and setting sections on fire.
What happened in court
On Wednesday, October 28, ATC Judge Wali Muhammad Khan heard the case as the public prosecutor submitted the police challan naming the five men as accused. The court observed that, since the challan had been filed and the suspects stood nominated, warrants were warranted under the law. The hearing was adjourned until November 4.
Who the five are
Alongside Afridi, the warrants name former provincial ministers Kamran Khan Bangash and Taimur Saleem Jhagra, PTI Peshawar president Irfan Saleem and party activist Amir Khan Chamkani. According to the prosecution, none of the five was named in the original FIR or the first charge sheet; their names were added after later evidence came to light.
The forensic reports
The court was told that Radio Pakistan Peshawar station director Tufail Ahmad recorded a supplementary statement in the light of the forensic findings, nominating the five men. A forensic examination had been ordered on December 12, 2025, on an application by Radio Pakistan’s counsel Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency and Nadra then examined video footage and photographs. The prosecution says that examination indicated the accused were present at the scene.
The defence disputes the footage
PTI leaders, for their part, have questioned the authenticity of the clips, arguing that they do not show the May 10, 2023 incident. One report also notes that a January forensic analysis of 16 clips found signs of editing or splicing in some of them, which is why the evidence needs careful assessment. It is worth stating plainly: the issue of warrants is a procedural step in the case, not a finding of guilt.
Wider context
Separately, a petition challenging Afridi’s alleged illegal detention or enforced disappearance remains pending before the Peshawar High Court — a different matter from this case. In the Radio Pakistan case itself, the next hearing will show how the proceedings move forward, including whether the five men are produced before the court.
