PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday issued notices to the parties concerned and sought replies on petitions filed by the provincial government seeking withdrawal of cases registered after the May 9, 2023 violence following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, including incidents at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Peshawar and protests in Ghalanai, district Mohmand.
The hearing was conducted by Justice Sahibzada Asadullah. Special Prosecutor Muhammad Inam Yousafzai appeared on behalf of the provincial government. He informed the court that on May 9, attacks on the ECP office in Peshawar and protests in Ghalanai had led to registration of cases by the then caretaker government.
The prosecutor argued that the cases were political in nature and that the current provincial government intended to withdraw them. He informed the court that the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had rejected the government’s application for withdrawal of the cases, after which an appeal was filed before the PHC. It is pertinent to note that among those nominated in the cases registered after the May 9 incidents are PTI leaders, former and current members of provincial and national assemblies, and ministers.
According to the prosecution, the decision to seek withdrawal of the cases was taken for lack of concrete evidence, and applications were earlier filed before the ATC, which dismissed them.
