PESHAWAR, Jan 24: The Peshawar High Court on Monday granted bail to two men in a honour-related murder case. The Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court , Mr Justice Nasirul Mulk, observed that the husband, Ghaniur Rehman, and his uncle Habibur Rehman were not directly charged with killing Ms Mehjabeen.

The woman was killed on Dec 1, 2004, allegedly by her brothers- in-law when a court bailiff and police visited their residence to recover the woman on the directives of the additional district and sessions judge in Takhtbhai (Mardan). An FIR was registered with the Lundh Khwar police station in the Mardan district.

Aged 45, Ms Mehjabeen was the mother of five and was married to Ghaniur Rehman about 20 years ago. Her son Naveed, 15, has stated before the police that his mother had been killed by his uncle Ashraf (brother of his father) and Fazal Noor (cousin of his father).

Advocate Muhammad Salim appeared for the two petitioners and argued that they were not directly charged in the case. He contended that witnesses had named other people for the commission of the offence. He said that the accused named in the FIR were still at large.

Advocate Shahnawaz Khan appeared for the state and contended that the accused Ghaniur Rehman was the major source of conflict. He said Mr Ghani was having a monetary dispute in Rawalpindi with a person named Qeemat Khan.

Mr Khan stated that because of this the family had moved to Takhtbhai and the family members had charged Mehjabeen with having illicit relations with Qeemat Khan and at her behest Qeemat Khan had fired at Ghaniur Rehman.

In his statement, the father of the deceased woman said that his daughter had been confined to a room by her in-laws and she was not allowed to meet even her children.

He stated that he had filed a habeas corpus petition before the additional district and sessions judge at Takhtbhai and the court had ordered the bailiff to visit the residence of woman's husband to recover her.