PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a motion to form a special committee to investigate the 2023 violent mob attack on the Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.
The motion, tabled by law minister Aftab Alam Afridi during a sitting chaired by Mohammad Idrees from the panel of chairmen, read that the committee’s composition and function would be determined by the speaker of the assembly in line with the rules.
On Dec 5, the KP cabinet approved the constitution of a special committee to probe the torching of the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building on May 10, 2023, during protests that erupted after the arrest of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan in Islamabad.
The protesters destroyed equipment, historical recordings and three vehicles on the premises. A staff member suffered burns and was hospitalised.
House unanimously adopts motion, continues debate on law and order situation
Meanwhile, the house continued the debate on the law and order situation in the province.
Leader of the opposition JUI-F Maulana Lutfur Rehman said developments in a country invariably affected its neighbours but Pakistan hadn’t prepared itself for the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
“We cleared areas of terrorists and rehabilitated residents after multiple security operations but peace is still elusive,” he said.
The lawmaker complained that the decisions, which should’ve been taken by politicians, were not made, so military operations against terrorists didn’t deliver the goods.
He accused the government of failing to fulfil its constitutional obligations.
Mr Rehman asked the provincial government to clarify if it wanted to sort out the issue through dialogue or further military operations.
He complained that ambiguity persisted even after a large peace jirga was held. He urged the government to announce the future course of action.
The chair said that a follow-up meeting of the house’s special committee on security would be held to decide the future course of action.
Housing minister Dr Amjad Ali said that all those, who attended the peace jirga, had signed the declaration and that the security committee was still there.
He said the reservations, shared by the JUI-F lawmaker, required bringing everyone on board.
The minister said Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had declared that national policies would be made by the elected government, but that principle had been ignored as policies were formulated by someone other than the government.
He said military operations were no solution to terrorism and that the law and order situation in KP was deliberately created.
The minister said that the media talk by the military’s spokesperson against the PTI had increased the popularity of incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.
He wondered how a government employee could hold news conferences against a political party and use inappropriate language against its leadership.
“Declaring politicians a security threat is not new. Madr-i-Milat Fatima Jinnah, too, was called a traitor and an Indian agent,” he said.
Dr Ali also complained that former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer and Pakhtun leaders Samad Khan Achakzai and Abdul Wali Khan, too, were declared traitors.
He said in the past, the denial of power to those elected by people dismembered the country.
The minister insisted that the powers that be wanted to grab more and more land along with minerals.
Member of the opposition Awami National Party Arbab Usman said that the police in the province had limited resources but still, they’re rendering sacrifices fighting terrorists.
He lauded recent actions by Capital City Police Officer Dr Mian Saeed Ahmad against anti-social elements.
Minority MPA Askar Parvez said that the Minority Victims of Terrorism Endowment Fund was set up in 2020, with the provincial and federal governments allocating Rs10 million each.
He said that under the law, an assessment committee was formed in 2021 but the victims of the 2013 All Saints Church bombinghad yet to be compensated.
The lawmaker wondered why those terror victims were denied compensation.
He said he had no objection if the issue was referred to the relevant house committee for consideration and recommendations.
Mr Afridi tabled the KP Ad hoc Lecturer Regularisation of Service Amendment Bill, 2025, which was referred by the chair to the relevant house committee for examination. The committee was told to submit the report in a fortnight.
The house also adopted treasury MPA Obaidur Rehman‘s resolution demanding of the federal government to ensure safe evacuation of Pakistani students enrolled in Afghanistan.
Member of the opposition Awami National Party Nisar Mohammad said that the students, mostly from tribal districts, had got stranded in Afghanistan and didn’t have money to fly back.
He urged the provincial government to take up the issue with the federal government for necessary action.
Published in media, December 16th, 2025
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