PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to withdraw more than 55 cases filed against PTI workers during the May 9 and 10 protests, following a provincial cabinet decision.
Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel said that a total of 319 cases were registered after the protests, most of which have since resulted in acquittals or discharges due to insufficient evidence. The remaining 55 cases — those in which no government responses were filed — will be withdrawn once the cabinet meeting minutes are officially received. Additional Advocate General Inam Yousafzai has been appointed special prosecutor to oversee the withdrawal process.
Some of the cases did not include anti-terrorism provisions, while others were concluded after the government submitted its replies in court. Of the cases registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 29 remain pending and 23 have already been decided, including eight acquittals. Several were transferred to regular courts after ATA sections were deemed inapplicable.
Six cases are still under process, with replies filed in one case and five awaiting submission. Once the cabinet minutes arrive, withdrawal applications will be submitted and argued in court, after which no May 9–10 protest-related cases will remain pending.
A separate report issued on Saturday said 416 terrorism cases are currently pending across 10 Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs) in KP, with Peshawar accounting for the highest number — 192 across three courts. In November 2025, KP ATCs collectively decided 100 cases, including 57 in Peshawar, 15 in Matta, and seven in Mardan. Courts in Buner, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan did not decide any cases during the same period.
