Peshawar: Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government has withdrawn all cases filed against leaders and workers of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party in connection with the May 9 riots of 2023.

According to an official notification issued by the provincial Home Department, the decision to withdraw the cases was approved by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet.

The May 9 violence erupted after Khan’s arrest in a corruption case from the Islamabad High Court premises. During the violence, protesters attacked civil and military installations including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

The unrest led to serious legal troubles for the former ruling party, with several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders including Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Yasmin Rashid behind bars over alleged involvement in the incidents.

The notification also appointed Additional Advocate General Muhammad Inam Khan Yousafzai as the special prosecutor to represent the provincial government in court proceedings.

Yousafzai appeared before a Mardan court in connection with a case, and formally conveyed the government’s decision. The court adjourned further proceedings until October 15.

The final decision will be made by the courts, which are set to review the withdrawal request at the next hearing.

In a video message, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Aamir Javed Utmankhel said that all terrorism-related cases registered on May 9 were “politically motivated”, filed without evidence or proper investigation, and amounted to victimisation by the government.

He said the chief minister ordered their withdrawal following cabinet approval.

The advocate general said that 29 cases related to the May 9 violence were registered in various districts of the province under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

“Most of these have already been dismissed by the courts for lack of evidence, and the rest will also collapse as no witnesses or material proof exist,” he said.

He added that the “caretaker government” had misused its authority for political revenge.

“These cases were unconstitutional and unlawful,” Utmankhel said, confirming that the Home Department had submitted the cabinet’s decision, official notification, and related documents in court to support the case withdrawals.

PTI has been ruling the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province since 2013 after winning three consecutive general assembly elections.

Khan’s central government was overthrown on April 10, 2022, after the national assembly passed a no-confidence motion against it.