Peshawar ATC Reissues Arrest Warrants for Sohail Afridi
Sohail Afridi arrest warrants were reissued by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Peshawar on Wednesday, The Express Tribune reported, in the case about the attack on the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.
The court also extended the interim bail of three former provincial ministers until November 17 and adjourned the hearing to the same date.
The case concerns the attack on and arson at the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar during violent protests on May 9 and 10, 2023, after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. Radio Pakistan lodged the complaint and nominated Afridi, former ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash and Irfan Saleem, and Aamir Khan Chamkani.
Hearing adjourned to November 17
Former ministers Jhagra, Bangash and Saleem appeared before ATC Judge Wali Mohammad with their lawyers. The lawyers asked for more time, telling the court they were not prepared and the hearing should be adjourned.
The court accepted the request, put off the hearing until November 17 and extended the interim bail of the three former ministers until that date.
Afridi did not appear. The reissued warrants direct the police to arrest him and produce him before the court.
Sohail Afridi arrest warrants: first issued on October 28
The court had first issued arrest warrants for Afridi, Jhagra, Bangash, Saleem and Chamkani at a hearing on October 28. That step came after the prosecution filed the challan, the formal charge sheet that names the accused in the case.
The court has also obtained forensic reports from NADRA Islamabad and the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory to verify the identities of the accused through video footage and photographs of the May 9 attack. Radio Pakistan’s counsel told the court that footage of the incident was available and forensic analysis showed the accused were present at the scene.
In January, the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory analysed 16 video clips. The footage showed Afridi, Bangash, Jhagra and Saleem. The report also noted that some clips showed signs of editing or splicing, which means the evidence will need careful assessment before the court can rely on it.
What happened at Radio Pakistan
The attack on the Radio Pakistan station in Peshawar took place during the protests that followed Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023. Protesters entered the premises after breaking through the main gate, set fire to the building and vehicles, and damaged broadcasting equipment.
The arson caused heavy damage to the station, which began operating in 1935 and was among Pakistan’s oldest radio stations. The fire destroyed century-old archives holding decades of Pashto and Hindko music, dramas, speeches and other recordings. The loss was described as a major cultural setback for regional-language broadcasting.
More than 80 PTI leaders and workers were initially nominated in cases linked to the violence and the attack on Radio Pakistan. In November 2025, an ATC directed prosecution witnesses and the investigating officer to appear with the case property. The proceedings then turned to establishing the identities of those allegedly involved through video footage, photographs and forensic evidence.
Afridi’s detention and the K-P crisis
Reports of Afridi’s detention surfaced shortly after the federal government announced its decision to impose emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
The government cited the worsening law and order situation and a lack of support from the provincial administration in the fight against terrorism. On October 12, the minister of state for interior confirmed that Afridi and some members of his cabinet had been taken into preventive custody.
The provincial government has said evidence is being gathered against Afridi in a separate corruption probe, while his party has stood by him. The PTI’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa parliamentary party has backed Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s leadership as the province’s politics remain unsettled. An Islamabad court has also issued warrants for Afridi in a separate case.
What happens next
The reissued warrants keep the pressure on the police to produce Afridi before the court. The next hearing on November 17 will show whether he is brought before the judge, whether the interim bail of the three former ministers is extended again, and whether the prosecution moves to frame charges.
For now, the case remains at the stage of arrest and production. No charge has been framed against Afridi in this case, and the forensic evidence has yet to be tested in open court.
Frequently asked questions
Why were arrest warrants reissued for Sohail Afridi?
The Peshawar ATC reissued the warrants because Afridi did not appear before the court in the Radio Pakistan attack case. The warrants were first issued on October 28 after the prosecution filed the challan.
When is the next hearing?
The court adjourned the hearing until November 17, 2026. It also extended the interim bail of former ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash and Irfan Saleem until that date.
What is the Radio Pakistan case about?
The case concerns the attack on and arson at the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar during protests on May 9 and 10, 2023, after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.
What did the forensic reports find?
The Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory analysed 16 video clips and found footage showing Afridi and the three former ministers. The report also noted signs of editing or splicing in some clips.
What was lost in the Radio Pakistan fire?
The fire destroyed century-old archives of Pashto and Hindko music, dramas, speeches and recordings, along with vehicles and broadcasting equipment at one of Pakistan’s oldest radio stations.
