PESHAWAR, Feb 1: The Frontier Crimes Regulations Tribunal here on Saturday granted bail to seven activists of the proscribed Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi convicted by the assistant political agent of Kurram Agency.

The seven applicants were among 30 activists and leaders including the TNSM’s chief, Maulana Sufi Mohammad, who were arrested in Kurram Agency while returning from Afghanistan, and were sentenced to seven years imprisonment by the APA in his capacity as the district and sessions judge. The revision petitions of the convicts are pending before the FCR tribunal.

The tribunal comprising the provincial home secretary, Mahmood Shah and provincial law secretary, Amir Gulab, directed that the applicants should be released on furnishing two sureties of Rs2,00,000 each to the satisfaction of the concerned APA.

Advocate Essa Khan appeared for the seven applicants — Lal Zaman, Ahmad Khan, Samiullah, Mohammad Islam, Arab Shah, Mohammad Ismael and Noor Raheem — and argued that the applicants were convicted on March 30, 2002, on three counts: carrying explosive substances and lethal weapons; display of heavy weaponry; and, illegal entry into Pakistan from Afghanistan.

They were sentenced to five years imprisonment for carrying explosives and arms and one years each for display of arms and illegal entry into Pakistan. Essa Khan argued that the trial court had ordered that the three sentences should be consecutive.

He added that the appeals of the convicts were decided by the Commissioner FCR,

who upheld the sentences but directed that the sentences should be concurrent and not consecutive.

Mr Khan stated that the judgments of the commissioner were challenged before the FCR Tribunal through revision petitions. He argued that the benefit of section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code was also not extended to the applicants and thus their period of imprisonment prior to their conviction was also not included in their prison term. He added that their entry into Pakistan was not illegal as they were inhabitants of this country and they were not invading it. Moreover, he said that carrying of weapons was a bailable offence.