Peshawar:: Peshawar Police have submitted a progress report in May 9 Radio Pakistan attack case before an anti-terrorism court here on Thursday, stating that forensic and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) reports identified Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and other political figures in the video material examined in connection with the case.
The report was submitted by Sharqi Police Station, Peshawar, during the hearing of the case.
According to the police report, videos and photographs were examined by NADRA and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) following directions of the court.
The report said the forensic examination and NADRA records were considered while identifying and nominating Sohail Afridi, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash and Irfan Saleem in the case.
It said the available video material and photographs were subjected to forensic verification and the relevant reports had been received by the police.
The report also referred to the statement of the Radio Pakistan Peshawar director, who had earlier identified suspects in connection with the incident.
The police told the court that further legal proceedings would be completed in light of the investigation and that a challan would be submitted against the nominated accused.
Radio Pakistan’s counsel Shabbir Hussain Giggiani described the police progress report as significant, saying it contained identification of key suspects and that police would proceed with submission of the challan.
However, an anti-terrorism court had on Sept 19 discarded an earlier police report as inconclusive and directed the investigating officer to submit a conclusive report in light of the PFSA and NADRA findings.
The forensic findings previously reported in the case stated that facial features of the persons shown in the supplied videos matched those of Sohail Afridi, Taimur Jhagra, Kamran Bangash, Irfan Saleem and Aamir Khan Chamkani.
The PFSA report, however, did not itself establish that the videos were recorded at the Radio Pakistan premises.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building was attacked and set on fire during the violent protests on May 9 and 10 in 2023.