KP govt withdraws May 9 vandalism cases against PTI leaders

• KP CM orders removal of cases after cabinet's nod.
• 29 cases related to May 9 registered across province.
• All May 9 cases were politically motivated, says KP AG.
  

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has withdrawn all cases filed against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers in connection with the May 9 riots, The News reported on Sunday.

During the violence, triggered after former prime minister Imran Khan's arrest in a graft case, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

The unrest has caused much legal and political woes for the former ruling party whose senior leaders, including founder Imran, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid and others, still remain behind bars over their alleged involvement in various incidents.

According to an official notification issued by the provincial Home Department, the decision was made after approval from the KP cabinet.

The notification also stated that Additional Advocate General Muhammad Inam Khan Yousafzai has been appointed as the special prosecutor to represent the government in court proceedings related to the matter.

With the KP government's move, PTI sees a major legal relief for dozens of its workers and leaders in the province. However, the final decision on withdrawal now rests with the courts, which will review the government's request at the next hearing scheduled for October 15.

KP AG Utmankhel, in a video message, said that all terrorism-related cases filed on May 9 were politically motivated, registered without evidence or proper investigation, and amounted to political victimisation by the caretaker government.

He added that the chief minister had ordered their withdrawal after cabinet approval. 

Yousafzai appeared before a Mardan court in connection with case No. 833 registered at Mardan City Police Station and formally conveyed the provincial government’s decision to withdraw the case. The court adjourned further proceedings until October 15.

The case names several political figures, including MPAs Zahir Shah Toru and Mujahid Khan, along with dozens of PTI workers. While many accused have already been discharged, trials against some individuals are still ongoing.

The advocate general said that 29 cases related to the May 9 violence had been registered across different districts of KP, all under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

"Most of these cases have already been dismissed by courts due to lack of evidence, while the remaining one will collapse as no witnesses or material proof exist," he remarked.

He argued that the caretaker setup had misused its authority and lodged these cases out of political malice. "These were unconstitutional, unlawful cases based on political revenge," he said, adding that the Home Department had submitted the cabinet decision, official notification, and related documents before the court in support of case withdrawal.