Total of 319 cases were registered across province relating to May 9–10 incident
Protestors throw stones after police fire tear gas to disperse them in Lahore on May 9, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to withdraw more than 55 cases pending in various courts against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in connection with the violent protests that followed the arrest of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan on May 9 and 10. The decision follows a formal approval granted by the provincial cabinet.
According to official records, a total of 319 cases were registered across the province relating to the May 9–10 incidents. Most of these cases have already concluded, with many accused either acquitted or discharged by courts due to insufficient evidence. At present, 55 cases remain under trial and will be withdrawn once the cabinet meeting’s minutes are issued.
The government has also appointed Additional Advocate General Inam Yousafzai as the special prosecutor to oversee matters related to terrorism-related cases.
Advocate General K-P, Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, said that while 319 cases were initially registered, not all contained sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). In several cases, decisions were made upon submission of written responses, while in others, responses were still pending. The 55 cases without responses are the ones earmarked for withdrawal.
He further stated that 29 cases under ATA were still active, whereas 23 had already been concluded, including eight acquittals.
The remaining cases were transferred to regular courts after determining that ATA provisions were not applicable.
At present, six terrorism-related cases remain pending. One has already been submitted for withdrawal, and responses in the remaining five are in progress. Once completed, all May 9–10 cases will stand terminated.
Uthmankhel added that after the cabinet meeting’s minutes are officially released, petitions will be filed in the relevant courts to withdraw the remaining cases. After arguments, the government expects that no May 9 or May 10 case will remain active.
Meanwhile, a separate report on pending cases in Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs) across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has also been issued. According to the report, 416 cases are currently pending in the province’s 10 ATC courts.
Peshawar tops the list with 192 pending cases across its three ATC courts. The report notes that 100 cases were decided during November, with Peshawar alone disposing of 57. However, ATC courts in Buner, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan did not decide a single case during the same period.
