K-P moves to form May 9 commission

Govt requests PHC CJ to set up judicial inquiry panel

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has formally requested a judicial inquiry into the May 9 incidents by penning a letter to Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.

According to K-P Law Minister Aftab Alam, the PHC has been requested to set up a commission to investigate the May 9 incidents, determine the losses and identify the perpetrators of the violent acts.

He said the letter was sent to the PHC after the K-P cabinet approved a judicial inquiry into the May 9 incidents.

Meanwhile, sources from the advocate general office said that the judicial commission would be formed under the Inquiries and Commission Act of 1969, which is already a law in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The advocate general office has dispatched the request with necessary details on behalf of the K-P government. Following this, the commission will be set up.

Recently, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had overturned PTI founder Imran Khan's physical remand in cases stemming from the May 9 riots.

Petitioner Imran Khan's counsel, Barrister Salman Safar, contended that unlawful procedures were adopted in registering FIRs and obtaining remand. He argued that Imran Khan was not asked to join the investigation, asserting that the prosecution's cases are baseless.

It may be recalled that soon after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, the purported PTI activists took to the streets in a protest over Imran Khan's arrest. They marched towards sensitive installations across the country.

The most violent activities were witnessed at the corps commander houses in Lahore and Peshawar. The corps commander house Lahore was vandalized by the charged mob. They set on fire furniture and took away valuables from there. In addition, the angry protesters also disgraced the monuments of martyrs.

In the aftermath of the May 9 mayhem, a crackdown was launched on PTI, which led to the detention of PTI leaders and workers. Some of the PTI leaders went into hiding and later they held press conferences or appeared on media to condemn the May 9 attacks. PTI stalwarts Imran Ismael, Ali Zaidi, Shireen Mazari, Sadaqat Abbasi, Abrarul Haq and others announced their decision to distance themselves from the party.

However, PTI leaders cried foul over holding the PTI responsible for the incident. They claimed that a conspiracy was hatched to target the party. They called for a judicial commission to inquire into the May 9 incidents. While no commission was formed by the federal government over the demand of PTI, the party's K-P government decided to form its own judicial commission to dig out the facts regarding the May 9 incident.