Accused in murder case granted bail

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted bail to an accused charged in the murder case of five people.

A single bench headed by Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth issued release order of an accused, Kamran, on statutory grounds as the trial court failed to conduct the trial in four months as directed by the high court.

Gohar Rehman Khattak, counsel for the petitioner, submitted before the bench that the petitioner and others including former provincial minister Fazle Subhan Khan were charged in the murder case of five people that occurred on March 25, 2012 in the limits of Shahbaz Ghari Police Station in Mardan district. During arguments, he submitted that other co-accused were also released on bail in the case.

He said the petitioner and others were charged in the murder of Abu Zar and four other persons. He said that there was an old enmity between rivals and they charged the petitioner and others in the case.

He said that the petitioner was arrested in 2014 in the case, adding, the high court had earlier dismissed bail petition, with the direction to trial court to conclude the trial within four months.

He submitted that the trial court failed to conclude the trial in four months and his client had been behind bars for the last three years.

He submitted that the petitioner was entitled for bail under the statutory grounds and rule of consistency as other co-accused were granted bail.

The court, after hearing arguments from both parties, allowed bail petition with direction to the accused to submit two surety bonds worth Rs500,000 each.