On February 24, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) dismissed a petition by the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) challenging the formation of a special committee by the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, Babar Saleem Swati, aimed at investigating the ransacking and torching of the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar. This incident occurred during protests following the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan in May 2023.
A bench, comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Inamullah Khan, ruled that the petition was premature because the special committee had not yet made any recommendations, which could potentially affect the ongoing trial in an anti-terrorism court concerning the same incident.
The bench highlighted that the petitioner could approach the court in the future if the probe committee’s recommendations were found to influence the trial proceedings. Additionally, the court recalled a stay order issued on January 28, which had restrained the committee and other respondents from proceeding further in the matter until the next order.
The plea was initially filed by PBC through its Peshawar station director, Tufail Ahmad, requesting the court to declare the notification issued by the KP Assembly Speaker on December 26, 2025, as illegal and to set it aside. The committee, chaired by provincial law minister Aftab Alam, includes some current lawmakers who have also been charged in the incident, said the petitioner’s counsel.
The bench wondered how it could interfere in the matter when the committee had not issued any directives to the trial court that might influence its proceedings. It further observed that the petitioner should not be concerned about the committee’s proceedings, as it had limited powers.
On November 2, 2025, the KP government announced plans to form an inquiry commission to investigate the May 9 attack on the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar. The provincial authorities described the incident as a “trap” set for PTI founder Imran Khan and his party and stated that the inquiry would determine those responsible for the ransacking and arson.
Provincial Minister for Local Government, Elections and Rural Development Meena Khan Afridi announced during a press conference in Peshawar. The minister said, “An inquiry commission will be formed in the first cabinet meeting on the incident, which took place in the building of Radio Pakistan Peshawar.”
The minister said the inquiry would analyse CCTV footage to identify those who entered the premises and investigate why the footage had not yet been released. “Since it is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in our jurisdiction, our first cabinet will form an inquiry commission to probe what happened at the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar,” he said.
The Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar was torched during nationwide protests that erupted following the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court premises on May 9, 2023. The attack caused extensive damage to the state broadcaster’s infrastructure, destroying broadcasting equipment, historical recordings, and vehicles. One employee suffered burn injuries and was hospitalised.
Meena Khan Afridi said that if the judiciary declined to conduct the inquiry, the government would consider forming a commission comprising senior provincial officers. The minister was accompanied by the Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Shafiullah Jan.
