18 December 2004	Saturday	05 Ziqa'ad 1425

PESHAWAR, Dec 17: The Peshawar High Court on Friday granted bail to a juvenile offender in a drug-related case.

A single-judge bench of Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk directed that the accused, Ashfaque Khan, should be released after furnishing two sureties of Rs200,000 each.

The petitioner was a bus cleaner and was arrested along with the driver, Abid Khan. Officials of the Customs Intelligence said that they had recovered 7.5kgs of heroin concealed in secret cavities of the vehicle near Nasirbagh Area on Oct 5, 2003.

The chairman of an NGO, Voice of Prisoners, Noor Alam Khan, appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that the petitioner was 16 at the time of arrest. He said that the petitioner did not know about the contraband's presence.

SHOOTOUT CASE: The Peshawar High Court on Friday granted bail to a person implicated in a shootout case in which five persons, including two police officers and two children, were injured.

A single-bench, comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, ordered that the petitioner, Abdur Rasheed, should be released after furnishing two sureties of Rs400,000 each. An FIR was registered at the Faqirabad police station on Oct 18 against two groups headed by Abdur Rasheed and Said Nabi, respectively.

The police alleged that a heavy exchange of firing ensued between both the groups at Ghareebabad, during which five persons were injured. The SHO, Shafiullah Khan, was also injured in the firing.