PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) cabinet has approved the withdrawal of several cases registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters in connection with the May 9, 2023 riots, terming them “false” and “politically motivated.”
At the time of the riots, a caretaker government led by Mohammad Azam Khan was in place in KP following the dissolution of the provincial assembly by the PTI earlier that year.
“For the public’s information, I want to inform that 29 false cases were registered on May 9, 2023, in anti-terrorism courts based on political victimisation, lack of evidence, and misuse of authority,” said KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel in a video statement.
He said Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had taken notice of the issue after courts had acquitted or discharged most of the suspects, with some cases already transferred from anti-terrorism to civil courts.
“This proves that all the anti-terrorism cases were illegal, unconstitutional, and based on political victimisation,” Uthmankhel stated, adding that the home department had been directed to proceed with the formal withdrawal process.
It remains unclear whether the cabinet’s recommendation covers all 29 cases or only a portion of them.
According to Uthmankhel, the cabinet also appointed Additional Advocate General Muhammad Inam Yousafzai as the special prosecutor for the cases. Yousafzai has already appeared in court and submitted a withdrawal application, with arguments scheduled for October 15.
Letters from the KP Home and Tribal Affairs Department to the Advocate General’s office, seen by Dawn.com, confirm that the cabinet’s approval was granted on an “urgent basis” following Uthmankhel’s recommendation to Chief Minister Gandapur.
A letter dated October 3 permitted the withdrawal of prosecution in a case registered in Mardan under Section 7(c) of the KP Prosecution Service Act, 2005, read with Section 494 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The May 9, 2023 riots broke out after the arrest of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, during which military installations and public property were vandalised. Thousands of PTI workers and leaders were later detained across the country in connection with the violence.
