Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Scraps Terrorism Cases Against PTI

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of Pakistan has decided to withdraw all cases against leaders and workers from Imran Khan's party related to the May 9, 2023 riots. The decision was approved by the cabinet, with authorities citing the lack of evidence in cases largely deemed politically motivated.

In a surprising turn of events, Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has moved to quash all legal actions against leaders and affiliates of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party. This decision, endorsed by the provincial cabinet, relates to the tumultuous events of May 9, 2023, when protests erupted following Khan's arrest.

The former ruling party has faced severe legal challenges since the riots, with top-tier figures like Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Yasmin Rashid imprisoned for suspected ties to the violence that resulted in attacks on key civil and military sites. However, the provincial government now claims these cases lacked substantive evidence and were politically driven.

Advocate General Aamir Javed Utmankhel's video statement reinforced these claims, indicating that 29 such cases had been registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, many of which have been dismissed for lack of proof. He criticized the caretaker government's actions as politically vengeful and unconstitutional.

(With inputs from agencies.)