On March 4, the Peshawar High Court affirmed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s right to form a special committee to investigate the ransacking of Radio Pakistan’s Peshawar building during a protest in May 2023. The court rejected a petition from the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) challenging the committee’s formation, confirming the assembly’s constitutional authority to conduct such inquiries.

A bench consisting of Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Inamullah Khan articulated that legislative and executive bodies have the constitutional competence to manage internal affairs and conduct investigations into public concerns. This judicial endorsement allows the special committee to continue examining the circumstances that led to the significant damage at the Radio Pakistan facility.

The incident, which took place during a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, involved the ransacking and setting on fire of the Radio Pakistan building. In response, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker established the committee to probe the events and assign responsibility.

The court’s decision highlighted that such fact-finding missions serve accountability, transparency, and democratic oversight. These processes remain within the sphere of institutional autonomy and are insulated from judicial interference unless they overstep constitutional limits or infringe upon judicial authority.

The ongoing trial concerning the attack, which includes 75 accused including current and former lawmakers who were indicted, continues in an anti-terrorism court.

In its detailed nine-page judgement, the court concluded that the constitutional threshold for intervention had not been met, and thus, the petition was premature.

The bench also discussed the separation of powers doctrine.