- Punjab Info Minister terms KP govt’s judicial commission request ‘admission of guilt’ of May 9 conspiracy
- Afridi confirms the letter sent to the high court for naming members of the commission to be headed by PHC judge
PESHAWAR/LAHORE: The Khyber Pakhunkhwa government, led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Sunday wrote a letter to Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, requesting for the constitution of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 incident.
Confirming the development, KP Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi, told to a private TV channel that: “The letter requesting the establishment of a judicial commission was sent to the chief justice by the administration department.”
Afridi said that that the PHC CJ will announce the names for the commission, with a judge from PHC to head it.
On the other hand, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari criticized the KP government’s request for a judicial commission to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) over the May 9 incidents, calling it a failed attempt to hide under the judicial hammer and an admission of their crimes.
Bukhari alleged that there is substantial evidence, including videos, pictures, and audio, of the failed May 9 conspiracy. “The “instigator” has already admitted to the rebellion, with confirmation from Salman Akram Raja, the legal counsel of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan”, she claimed.
She further noted that the identities of all the characters, facilitators, and masterminds behind the May 9 conspiracy are now clear. Bukhari used the metaphor, “When a jackal sees death, it runs towards the city,” implying that judicial commissions are typically formed for hidden and unresolved matters.
The provincial information minister labelled the failed May 9 uprising as a “conspiracy against the country”, asserting that “no one can become a Che Guevara or Nelson Mandela by using the judiciary’s shoulder”. Bukhari condemned the KP government’s move to seek a judicial commission, equating it to an admission of guilt.
Bukhari concluded by saying, “Alhamdulillah, our leader returned, his disqualification was overturned, and the people gave him their mandate”. “Despite all conspiracies, today Nawaz Sharif’s government is in power in Pakistan and its largest province, Punjab,” she added.
The KP govt’s decision follows the provincial cabinet’s approval of a judicial inquiry into the May 9 events, emphasizing the need for identifying the main perpetrators involved.
A day earlier, the KP cabinet approved the establishment of a judicial commission to probe the May 9 events during the meeting presided by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
The PTI had been demanding to hold a judicial inquiry into the May 9 protests which broke out in the country last year over party founder Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
In May this year, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan reiterated his party’s demand to hold a judicial inquiry into the violence.
KP CM Gandapur had also demanded to form a judicial commission to probe the violence on that day.
Yesterday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) noted that there is no audio or video evidence available on record to prove that former prime minister Imran Khan was behind the attacks on the state installation on May 9.
In its 5-page written order, the LHC noted that under the Constitution, no illegal restrictions can be placed on anyone’s freedom. It said there are higher court rulings regarding physical remand, adding that before remanding a person to custody the judicial magistrate must review the charges.
