May 9 incidents: KP govt writes to PHC CJ for judicial inquiry

PESHAWAR/LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has asked the Peshawar High Court (PHC) chief justice through a letter to form an inquiry commission to investigate the May 9 violence and the arrest of former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

KP Minister for Law Aftab Alam, Advocate, told reporters on Sunday that the provincial government had requested the PHC chief justice to order the formation of an inquiry commission to expose the perpetrators and determine as to who were actually behind the May 9 mayhem.

The inquiry commission would also help assess the damage caused in the aftermath of May 9 riots, the minister added.

He said the provincial cabinet had approved the letter in June requesting the chief justice of the Peshawar High Court to form a judicial commission for this purpose.

Sources in the KP Advocate General office said that the judicial commission would be formed under the Inquiries and Commission Act 1969.

However, sources in the PHC said that the high court had not yet received the letter from the provincial government. They said the high court would determine the terms of reference for the inquiry commission after receiving the application.

Hundreds of PTI workers were arrested in the aftermath of May 9 incidents. The PTI workers were staging protests across the country after the arrest of the former prime minister Imran Khan.

Cases were registered against the PTI workers, who were later produced before the military courts. The PTI has always distanced itself from the May 9 incidents and had demanded a judicial inquiry into it.

KP Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi told the media: “The letter requesting establishment of a judicial commission was sent to the chief justice by the Administration Department.” He said the chief justice would announce the names for the commission, adding that the judicial commission would be headed by a PHC judge.

A day earlier, the KP cabinet approved the establishment of a judicial commission to probe the May 9 events during a meeting presided by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

Sharply reacting to the move, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari said the KP government’s letter for the formation of a judicial commission was a failed attempt to hide behind the “judicial hammer” (gavel).

In a statement issued here on Sunday, she said that dozens of videos, pictures and audios were available as evidence of the failed rebellion on May 9. It was a conspiracy against the country, she said, adding that true identities of all characters, facilitators and masterminds of the May 9 rebellion had been revealed already.

Even the mastermind had himself admitted to the rebellion of May 9, and it was confirmed by Salman Akram Raja, Azma claimed. The minister said, “Wherever you go, May 9 will haunt you.”

She said the KP government’s appeal to the court for a judicial commission is equivalent to admitting to their crimes. “Judicial commissions are always formed for hidden and ambiguous matters. No one can become Che Guevara or Nelson Mandela by using the judicial shoulders,” she added.