A Peshawar anti-terrorism court has reissued arrest warrants for detained Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Wednesday, after he again failed to appear at hearings in the Radio Pakistan attack case. The order comes while Afridi remains out of public view since his detention.
The case concerns an attack on the historic Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar during violent demonstrations on May 9 and 10, 2023, which followed the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan. The court is trying around 75 accused, including serving and former lawmakers. They were charged in June 2025 and entered not guilty pleas.
Afridi named after forensic video and identity checks
Afridi was named as an accused alongside PTI leaders Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash and Irfan Saleem. Their inclusion followed a forensic review of video footage and verification of identities. Police relied on findings from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to identify the people shown in the recordings.
Also read: PHC refers Sohail Afridi recovery case to larger bench
Detention during October long march and emergency rule
Afridi was leading PTI’s long march towards Islamabad when he was taken into custody, after emergency and governor’s rule were imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11. The march had started on October 4 as part of the party’s campaign against the federal government. Reports said he was taken from the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar once the emergency was announced. State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed the detention a day later in remarks to an international news agency.
PTI and the families of Afridi and other detained leaders approached the Peshawar High Court seeking their recovery. The Federal Constitutional Court then barred that court from hearing petitions on detentions under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance and on matters arising after October 11. The high court subsequently removed the relevant cases from its cause list.
Federal reasons behind KP emergency and governor’s rule
President Asif Ali Zardari proclaimed the emergency on October 11, 2026, on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution. The federal government cited a deteriorating law and order situation and what it described as a lack of cooperation from the provincial administration in the fight against terrorism.
Under the arrangement, Governor Faisal Karim Kundi was made responsible for provincial affairs with the help of an advisory council, while the provincial government’s administrative and legislative authority was taken over. The move effectively ended PTI’s provincial government and sparked a fresh confrontation between the ruling coalition and the opposition. The party and other opposition parties have challenged the constitutional basis of the emergency and governor’s rule, seeking judicial review and the recovery of detained leaders.
