ATC rejects May 9 Radio Pakistan report

Orders police to submit full forensic, NADRA record

PESHAWAR:

An anti-terrorism court in Peshawar on Friday rejected an investigation report submitted by police in the case relating to the May 9 attack on Radio Pakistan Peshawar, declaring it incomplete and inconclusive and directing the investigating officer to submit a comprehensive final report.

The court ordered the investigating officer to place the complete investigation record before it on September 24 in light of reports obtained from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), Lahore, and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The case relates to violence and protests that erupted on May 9 following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, during which Radio Pakistan Peshawar was attacked and damaged.

Radio Pakistan was represented by Advocate Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, while Additional Advocate General and Special Prosecutor Nauman Haq Kakakhel appeared for the prosecution. DSP Khushal Khan, the investigating officer, was also present.

During the proceedings, the court was informed that merely placing PFSA and NADRA reports on record would not be sufficient. The investigating officer was required to incorporate the findings of the reports into the investigation and submit all supporting evidence and relevant records along with the final report.

After hearing the arguments, the court observed that the report submitted by the investigating officer on September 12 was opinion-based and inconclusive. It also noted that the report did not correspond with the application submitted by Radio Pakistan.

The court therefore declined to treat the report as the final investigation report and directed the investigating officer to complete the investigation on the basis of the forensic and NADRA findings.

The court specifically directed the investigation team to include details of all investigative steps undertaken, their findings and the relevant documentary and other evidence in the final report.

The proceedings also covered the police's move to nominate certain political and other individuals in the case on the basis of crime videos, forensic laboratory reports and NADRA records. However, the court stopped short of accepting the existing report as conclusive and directed police to place the complete investigation process and final findings before the court.

The court adjourned further proceedings until September 24.

Separately, the Peshawar High Court suspended a provincial government notification concerning land acquired for the proposed Bannu Gul City housing project and issued notices to the relevant authorities seeking their replies.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Afridi and Justice Sabitullah Khan heard a petition filed by Noor Afzal and others. Advocate Pir Hamidullah Shah represented the petitioners.

The petitioner's counsel said the government planned to acquire more than 10,000 kanals for the housing project, which he described as one of the province's largest schemes after the Peshawar Valley project.