- Provincial minister vows to trace culprits, review missing CCTV footage and identify culprits
- Inquiry commission to investigate May 9 attack on Radio Pakistan Peshawar, which PTI terms ‘political trap’
- Slams ‘fake video’ claims against KP CM, saying Sohail Afridi was in Peshawar, not Lahore during riots
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will constitute an inquiry commission to investigate the vandalism of the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar during the May 9, 2023 riots, provincial Minister for Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Meena Khan Afridi announced on Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Adviser to the Chief Minister Shafiullah Jan, the minister said the commission would determine who was responsible for the attack, review CCTV footage, and examine why the video evidence had not yet surfaced.
“Since the incident occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and falls within our jurisdiction, our first cabinet meeting will approve the formation of an inquiry commission to probe what happened at the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar,” Meena Khan said.
He added that the panel would investigate who opened the gates of the building, analyse available surveillance footage, and identify those involved in the vandalism.
The May 9 riots erupted after the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court’s premises, resulting in widespread violence and damage to public and military properties, including the historic Radio Pakistan building in the provincial capital.
The provincial minister also addressed the controversy surrounding a video purportedly showing Chief Minister Sohail Afridi outside the Corps Commander House in Lahore during the riots, clarifying that the chief minister was in Peshawar at the time.
He said Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Information for KP Affairs, had raised the issue during a press conference on Saturday, but “they must understand that Sohail Afridi sahib was in Peshawar at the time. They have no evidence, so they are resorting to lies.”
Calling the May 9 episode a “trap” aimed at pressuring PTI and Imran Khan, Meena Khan said the allegations against the KP chief minister were politically motivated.
Adviser Shafiullah Jan also criticised Wali for presenting the “edited” video during a presser in Nowshera, saying the footage was recorded two months earlier during the Zaman Park standoff in March 2023, when police attempted to arrest Imran Khan from his Lahore residence.
“The video shown is not from May 9,” Meena Khan clarified. “It’s available on Sohail Afridi sahib’s own social media pages, clearly showing the use of water cannons against our workers during the Zaman Park episode.”
Jan said the PTI would issue a strong response to what he called “false propaganda”, adding that “anyone using fabricated videos to malign our leadership will get a befitting reply.”
