PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, has agreed to withdraw hundreds of cases filed after the 9 and 10 May unrest, a move officials say is intended to shut down politically driven prosecutions.
Sources said the cabinet approved ending cases that they described as rooted in political retaliation. The decision is expected to affect senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures as well as party workers.
The cabinet also backed the formation of a committee to examine events surrounding the 9 May 2023 protests, which triggered a sweeping wave of arrests and legal action across the province.
Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmanzai said more than 300 cases were registered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the two days of unrest. He said some cases had already been dismissed by the courts, but the cabinet decision would bring the remainder to a close.
Officials confirmed that the list of accused includes a provincial minister, Meena Khan, a member of the National Assembly, Asif Khan, and a member of the provincial assembly, Fazal Elahi, all of whom were nominated in the 9 May cases.
