PESHAWAR, March 2: A local court on Saturday granted bail to former chief minister Aftab Sherpao in a case pertaining to his illegal exit from the country in 2000.

Judicial Magistrate Adil Akber Khan allowed bail to the applicant on condition of furnishing two sureties of Rs100,000 each.

However, Mr Sherpao will remain imprisoned as he has been facing trial in three accountability references, and a prison term of three years slapped on him in absentia by an Ehtesab court is still in the field.

The court overruled the preliminary objection raised by the prosecution about the maintainability of the application, observing that the court was competent to hear the application.

The presiding officer said it would be decided at the trial stage whether the accused had left the country through an illegal route.

The court observed that the offence was bailable and the punishment provided for it was not in the prohibitory clause of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Advocates Arshad Khan and Taj Mahal represented the applicant, whereas Ayaz Khan appeared for the prosecution.

The prosecution has claimed that the passport of Mr Sherpao carried the entry stamp of London.

However, no exit stamp was on the passport which meant that he had left the country through an unauthorized route.

The prosecution also claimed that leaving the country without the knowledge of the government when the name of the accused was on the Exit Control List, was illegal.