Peshawar ATC initiates absconder proceedings against Sohail Afridi in Radio Pakistan case

Court issues Section 87 notices after police report failure to arrest pair linked to May 9-10 violence

PESHAWAR:

A Peshawar Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday initiated proceedings to declare dysfunctional Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media activist Aamir Chamkani as absconders in the case related to the attack, vandalism and arson at Radio Pakistan Peshawar during the May 9 and 10 events.

The court ordered the issuance of notices under Section 87 of the Code of Criminal Procedure after police submitted a report stating the two nominated accused could not be located. The development came during a hearing of the Radio Pakistan attack case, in which Afridi, Chamkani, Rahman Jalal, Abbas, Attaullah, Hamza Ghazanfar, Haroon, Mashhood Hassan, Khalid Khan Afridi and others had been named. Police have so far declared the accused as absconders.

Read: Peshawar ATC reissues arrest warrants for Sohail Afridi in Radio Pakistan attack case

Detective Foot Constable (DFC) Muhammad Iqbal of East Cantonment Police Station informed the court that arrest warrants issued under Section 204 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) against Afridi and Chamkani could not be executed despite all efforts. After reviewing the police report, the court directed that notices under Section 87 be issued against both. It also ordered a notice to the concerned police official for recording a confirmatory statement.

According to the prosecution, the absconder notices would be affixed at the residences and offices of the two accused. If they still failed to appear, proceedings under Section 512 CrPC would be initiated to formally declare them proclaimed offenders, after which permanent arrest warrants were likely to be issued.

Read More: ATC rejects May 9 Radio Pakistan report

Separately, former provincial ministers Irfan Saleem, Kamran Bangash and Taimur Saleem appeared in court in connection with their interim bails. Their counsel, Inamullah Yousafzai, submitted an application regarding their attendance.

Case background

The attack on Radio Pakistan’s Peshawar station took place during widespread protests following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. The Express Tribune reported that protesters entered the premises after breaking through the main gate, set fire to the building and vehicles, and damaged equipment.

The arson caused extensive damage to the historic broadcasting station, which began operating in 1935 and was among Pakistan’s oldest radio stations.

More than 80 PTI leaders and workers were initially reported to have been nominated in cases related to the violence and the attack on Radio Pakistan. Afridi was added as an accused on the request of Radio Pakistan. In November 2025, an ATC directed prosecution witnesses and the investigating officer to appear with the relevant case property. The proceedings subsequently focused on establishing the identities of those allegedly involved through video footage, photographs and forensic evidence.