PESHAWAR, Dec 2: Former provincial minister Bashir Khan Umerzai surrendered before the Peshawar district and sessions judge, Hayat Ali Shah, and was granted pre-arrest bail in two murder cases.
The court granted him bail till December 6, directing him to appear before the concerned court in Charsadda district by that date. Mr Umerzai, who belongs to the Awami National Party, had been absconding since two attempts were made on the life of an MPA of the PPP (Sherpao), Alamzeb Umerzai, in 2002 and 2003, which had resulted in the death of two persons.
The court directed the applicant, Bashir Umerzai, to furnish two sureties of Rs100,000 each. On July 4, 2002, some unidentified assailants had opened fire at Alamzeb while he was travelling in a vehicle. The attack had resulted in the death of Hameedullah Khan, a friend of Alamzeb who was travelling with him.
Bashir Umerzai, his sons Shakeel and Mansoor, his son-in-law, Kamal Nasir, his nephew, Masood, and another relative, Riaz Khan, were charged by Alamzeb in that case. Alamzeb escaped another attack on February 2, 2003, but one of his friends, Ayaz Khan, was killed. The accused in the earlier case were charged also in this case.
Except Bashir Umerzai, the other accused were arrested in the two cases. In the first case, they were granted bail by a court in Charsadda. In the second case, they were acquitted by the trial court in Charsadda. While the court acquitted them in the second case. Perpetual arrest warrants for Bashir Umerzai were issued.
Asadullah Chamkani appeared for Bashir Umerzai and requested the court to grant transit bail to the applicant. He stated that Bashir had been falsely implicated in the case. He added that the applicant might be granted transit bail till the time he could appear before the court concerned.
