PESHAWAR, Oct 12: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday granted interim pre-arrest bail to provincial Health Minister Inayatullah Khan in a murder case.

Justice Qaim Jan Khan directed the minister to furnish two sureties of Rs 500,000 each.

The minister has been granted bail till Nov 13, the next date of hearing. The bench also put on notice the respondents and summoned the record of the case.

A day earlier, an additional district and sessions judge in Nowshera had dismissed the application of Inayatullah and his brother Anwarullah Khan, a former MPA. Both of them were taken into custody after the dismissal of their bail application, but the minister was later set at liberty.

Barrister Zahoorul Haq appeared for the petitioner and contended that he had been falsely implicated in the case for malafide intentions.

He argued that the petitioner was linked with the murder committed because of an old enmity and property dispute, but there was no evidence on record which could connect him with the offence.

Mr Haq argued that the complainant had charged unknown assassins for firing at the deceased person and the only role attributed to the petitioner was that the deceased was killed on his behest.

He added that the circumstantial evidence did not suggest the involvement of the petitioner in the offence.

Inayatullah and Anwarullah, belonging to Jamaat-i-Islami, were charged by their relative, Hayat Khan, of killing his father Jehanzeb Khan in the jurisdiction of Azakhel police station on Sep 2. The deceased was former social security officer.

The complainant alleged that they had property dispute with the accused party.

He alleged that two assassins had fired at Jehanzeb Khan which resulted in his death.

He alleged that Inayat and Anwar of hiring the assassins.

The accused were charged under section 302, 324, 109 and 34 of Pakistan Penal Code.