ATC issues Sohail Afridi's arrest warrants

Defence counsel Ali Zaman Advocate appeared for the nominated accused, while investigating officer Khushhal, the public prosecutor and Radio Pakistan counsel Shabbir Hussain Ghaigiani were also present. At the outset of the hearing, the defence requested an adjournment for more time to prepare.

The judge declined, noting that the charge sheet had been filed and the accused formally nominated, leaving the court with no legal option but to issue warrants of arrest. Radio Pakistan's lawyer had earlier pressed for forensic identification of individuals visible in CCTV footage of the attack.

In response, the court obtained reports from NADRA in Islamabad and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency Laboratory in Lahore. Both agencies examined the video and still images. The crime-scene footage was also subjected to forensic analysis, which,, confirmed the presence of the newly nominated accused at the site during the attack.

Counsel for Radio Pakistan had completed their investigation months earlier, yet the charge sheet was not presented for nearly six months. On May 9 and 10, violent crowds targeted the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building, vandalising the premises and setting parts of it on fire.