PESHAWAR: A special Anti-Terrorism Court in Peshawar on Thursday issued a written order from the previous hearing of the Radio Pakistan attack case and adjourned the proceedings until March 31after stating that the report submitted by the special prosecutor had been placed on record.
According to the written order, nine accused nominated in the case are still absconding. They include Rehan, Zewar Khan, Rehman Jalal, Abbas, Ataullah, Hamza Ghazanfar, Haroon, Mashhood Hassan, and Khalid Khan Afridi.
During the hearing, one of the accused, Fareed Gul, appeared before the court and sought exemption from attendance, which was granted.It is pertinent to mention that on May 9, 2023, enraged protesters attacked the Radio Pakistan building, set it on fire, and caused damage to both public and private property.
A case was registered at the East Police Station against several current and former members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Police nominated more than 80 suspects in the case, including PTI workers.
During the trial, Radio Pakistan’s counsel, Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, requested the court to verify and confirm the identities of the actual accused through the Punjab Forensic Agency and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The court approved the request and directed the investigating officer to proceed accordingly.
The investigating officer later submitted the reports from the Punjab Forensic Agency and NADRA to the special prosecutor, who subsequently filed them before the court.
