September 9, 2003	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The Supreme Court on Monday accepted the bail petition of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers Abdul Jabbar and Muhammad Shafiq alias Pappu and ordered their release.

Sindh police had arrested both the activists in 2000 for possessing Klashnikov and ammunition and declared them agents of Indian agency RAW.

The SHC however had granted bail to the convicts.

Dissatisfied with the verdict of Sindh High Court, the provincial government approached the Supreme Court seeking restoration of the trial court judgment.

But an apex court bench, comprising Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Mian Muhammad Ajmal and Justice Falak Sher, dismissed the petition of the Sindh government.

Advocate Abdul Majeed Pirzada represented the accused MQM workers.

PLEA REJECTED: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to a woman convicted of smuggling heroine from Peshawar to Islamabad.

The smuggler, Nafeesa Akhtar, who had contested elections in 1997 as a PML (N) candidate, was convicted by an Islamabad court for possessing 5kg heroine, and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs50,000. Her bail plea had also been rejected by the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court.

It was argued by the counsel that the appellant was seriously ill and if she was not allowed to come out of jail, her life would be in danger. The plea, however, could not convince the judges.

Ms Nafeesa Akhtar was arrested on April 13, 2001.