Web Desk: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is facing mounting legal challenges in connection with several cases, including the Radio Pakistan attack case, where police have formally nominated him as an accused, according to recent court proceedings.
Supreme Court lawyer Shabbir Hussain Gigyani said in an interview with Azad Digital that the cases could have serious legal and political consequences for the chief minister, including the possibility of disqualification if a court ultimately finds him guilty of an offence carrying such a penalty.
The Radio Pakistan case relates to the ransacking, vandalism and arson at the broadcaster’s Peshawar building during the unrest of May 9-10, 2023.
Police recently submitted a progress report to an anti-terrorism court naming Afridi and several other PTI figures as accused. Investigators said they relied on reports from the National Database and Registration Authority and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency in identifying the individuals in video footage and photographs linked to the case.
Defence lawyers have questioned whether some of the footage was conclusively linked to the Radio Pakistan incident. Earlier proceedings also saw the court reject an investigation report as incomplete and order investigators to submit a comprehensive report.
Gigyani said the legal consequences would depend on the nature of the charges, the evidence presented in court and the outcome of the proceedings.
He said that if a person is convicted of an offence for which the law provides disqualification, the conviction could affect their eligibility to hold elected office. He also said that, depending on the circumstances and the stage of the proceedings, arrest could become possible.
The lawyer further pointed to the possibility of long-term political consequences if the legal requirements for disqualification were ultimately established in court.
The anti-terrorism court on Monday directed the investigation officer to submit the charge sheet after police sought additional time to complete it. The investigator said a former provincial minister had yet to join the investigation.
The latest developments have nevertheless added another legal dimension to the political challenges facing the KP government as proceedings in the Radio Pakistan case continue.
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