Sohail Afridi and Four Others Charged in 2023 Radio Pakistan Attack Case After Forensic Reports

Forensic reports identify Afridi and four others

The Sohail Afridi Radio Pakistan case has entered a decisive phase. Forensic reports from two separate agencies have now linked the suspended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and four other men to the 2023 attack on the broadcaster's Peshawar building.

The Punjab Forensic Science Agency examined video footage of the rioting and concluded that the facial features of the five men matched those of the suspects seen in the clips. The report gave investigators a scientific basis for naming the accused in the visual material.

Nadra carried out its own verification. The authority said CNIC numbers apparently belonging to the five men were probable matches for their profile pictures. Taken together, the two reports provided the foundation on which police formally named the five as suspects.

The five men identified are Sohail Afridi, former provincial finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, former higher education minister Kamran Bangash, Irfan Saleem and Muhammad Aamir. All five are senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf figures, and their inclusion has widened the case beyond the 75 accused already facing trial.

According to Dawn, the reports identified Mr Afridi and the four others as suspects in the video footage and profile pictures that were provided for examination. The finding applies to the men in the footage rather than to the building itself, a distinction the defence has seized upon.

How the court ordered the forensic examination

The forensic examination did not happen by accident. It was ordered on an application filed by the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation's lawyer, Shabbir Hussain Gigyani. According to Dawn, the court directed Nadra and the PFSA in December 2025 to forensically examine the relevant videos and carry out facial recognition of the accused.

Investigators sent 16 video recordings of the violent demonstrations to the PFSA for scrutiny. The agency examined the footage frame by frame and submitted its report in January, followed by Nadra's identification report in February. Both documents reportedly confirmed the presence of the nominated PTI leaders at the scene.

The road to a conclusive report was not smooth. An anti-terrorism court had earlier discarded a police report as inconclusive and directed the investigating officer to submit a conclusive one in light of the PFSA and Nadra findings. The Radio Pakistan administration had also approached the court, seeking directions for the prosecution to submit its report.

That persistence paid off on October 13, 2026, when Peshawar police submitted a supplementary charge sheet formally naming the five men as accused. The report was placed on the court record before the anti-terrorism court. Radio Pakistan's counsel described the progress report as significant because it contained the identification of key suspects and cleared the way for a challan against the nominated accused.

The court then adjourned the hearing until October 28. With the supplementary charge sheet on record, the prosecution can now move the five newly named accused toward trial alongside the existing 75.

PTI disputes the authenticity of the videos

PTI leaders have challenged the video evidence from the beginning. They questioned the authenticity of the clips and said the footage did not pertain to the May 10, 2023 attack on the Radio Pakistan building, which took place after the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan.

The forensic findings themselves contain caveats that the defence is likely to exploit. The PFSA found no evidence of editing in several of the videos. But some clips contained indications of added text or logos, and signs of clip splicing were detected in two videos involving Sohail Afridi and Irfan Saleem.

A further report noted that the PFSA identification stopped at matching faces in the footage. It did not, on its own, state that the videos were footage of the Radio Pakistan occurrence. That gap between identification and the place of the incident has become central to the defence argument.

The KP government had appointed Additional Advocate General Nomanul Haq Kakakhel in the case. The special prosecutor has questioned the inclusion of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation as an aggrieved party, as well as its decision to appoint a private counsel. The defence strategy is now taking shape on two fronts: attacking the videos and challenging the prosecution's structure.

PTI's position remains that the clips presented do not belong to the Radio Pakistan Peshawar attack. How the anti-terrorism court weighs the PFSA and Nadra reports against those objections will determine how the case proceeds from the October 28 hearing.

Trial of 75 accused continues in the ATC

The anti-terrorism court is already conducting the trial of 75 accused in the same case. They were indicted on multiple counts on June 3, 2025, and every one of them pleaded not guilty.

Those facing trial include provincial minister Meena Khan Afridi, MNA Asif Khan, MPAs Fazal Ilahi Khan and Arbab Waseem, who left PTI and joined PTI-Parliamentarians, and former MPAs Arbab Jehandad, Fida Gul and Wajid Khan. The addition of five more prominent names raises the profile of the trial considerably.

The FIR was registered at the East Cantonment police station on May 10, 2023. It was filed on the complaint of the then station house officer, Arbab Naeem Haider, under various provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The case relates to the attack on the historic Radio Pakistan Peshawar building during the unrest that followed Imran Khan's arrest. The building, which also housed offices of the Associated Press of Pakistan, was ransacked and set on fire during the protests. The images of the burning building became one of the defining symbols of the May 2023 unrest.

The formal charging of Afridi arrives at a tense political moment. According to Nukta, the federal government dismissed his provincial administration and placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Governor's Rule two days before the supplementary charge sheet was submitted. The legal and political tracks of the case now run side by side, and each new hearing will be watched for what it signals about both.

For now, the facts established by the October reports are clear. Two agencies matched faces and identity records to the footage. Five men have been formally named. And a courtroom in Peshawar will take the matter up again on October 28.

Frequently asked questions

Who has been charged in the Radio Pakistan attack case?

Sohail Afridi, the suspended Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, has been formally charged along with four others. The other four are former provincial finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, former higher education minister Kamran Bangash, Irfan Saleem and Muhammad Aamir. All five were named as accused in a supplementary charge sheet submitted to the anti-terrorism court on October 13, 2026, on the basis of forensic reports.

What did the PFSA forensic report conclude?

The Punjab Forensic Science Agency examined 16 video recordings of the violent demonstrations frame by frame. It concluded that the facial features of the five men matched those of the suspects seen involved in rioting in the videos. The agency found no evidence of editing in several clips, though some clips showed indications of added text or logos and two videos showed signs of splicing.

What did Nadra's report say about the suspects?

Nadra carried out facial recognition verification of the individuals whose profile photographs were provided for comparison. The authority mentioned CNIC numbers apparently belonging to the five men, stating that these were probable matches for their profile pictures. The Nadra report was submitted in February, following the PFSA report in January, and both were placed before the anti-terrorism court.

Is the case already being heard in court?

Yes. The anti-terrorism court is conducting the trial of 75 accused, who were indicted on multiple counts on June 3, 2025, and pleaded not guilty. Those facing trial include several serving and former lawmakers. The five newly charged men are expected to join the proceedings, with the next hearing fixed for October 28.

What is PTI's response to the forensic evidence?

PTI leaders have questioned the authenticity of the video clips, saying the footage does not pertain to the May 10, 2023 attack on the Radio Pakistan building. They argue the clips are not from the Radio Pakistan Peshawar incident that followed Imran Khan's arrest. The party's appointed special prosecutor has also challenged the inclusion of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation as an aggrieved party in the case.