Shehbaz was informed that the broadcasting service was reinstated 26 hours following the attack on May 9th.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Peshawar and made a visit to the Radio Pakistan building, where he received a detailed briefing on the aftermath of the attack that took place on May 9. In attendance at the ceremony were the caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, the KP governor, federal ministers including Ishaq Dar and Marriyum Aurangzeb, as well as other notable figures.
During the briefing, the Director General of Radio Pakistan provided an overview of the damage incurred by the building, its records, and the broadcasting system during the attack. It was revealed that the Radio Pakistan broadcast was restored after a span of 26 hours. The briefing also highlighted that the attack resulted in the destruction of century-old recordings and significant historical heritage. However, it was mentioned that the radio’s Quran channel remained unharmed.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, addressing the ceremony, drew attention to the previous attack on PTV in 2014 and expressed that the assault on Radio Pakistan appeared to be part of a deliberate plan. She described the attack as a large mob armed with petrol and clubs, emphasizing that while transmitters and other items could be replaced, valuable assets such as archives had been set ablaze. She informed the audience that an FIR had been filed regarding the incident and mentioned that efforts were made to disrupt transmission on May 10 as well. Aurangzeb emphasized the importance of preventing a recurrence of the events on May 9 and assured that the culprits would face severe punishment.
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The prime minister was expected to preside over a significant meeting at the Peshawar Governor House, where he would receive updates on the events of May 9 and the current situation. He would also provide crucial instructions regarding law and order and the security landscape.
Earlier plans for the prime minister’s visit to Peshawar on May 19 were postponed. The purpose of his visit was to assess the damaged Radio Pakistan building and inspect Fort Bala Hisar in the provincial capital. The prime minister was set to receive a comprehensive briefing on the extent of the damage to the building and the ongoing restoration efforts, as well as updates on the status of records and media housed within the facility.
